Perfect Strangers
by MissSaucyRed
Summary: What if Spider-man's identity as Peter Parker is revealed? Will this Temporary Glamour take toll of him or will he learn some thing more intense about his life? Or about a certain girl? Read on to find out. A fluffy WhiteSpider feat. Liz Allan. An Interesting AU.
1. Great Expectations

**Hello. I'm back with my second work for this awesome fandom. Many of you liked the last fiction I wrote( Although I thought it kinda sucked but anyway), so I decided to do another one. This one is a WhiteSpider too. I absolutely love them. Also this is not a sequel to my other story 'Moving On'. Go check it out if you would like to.**

 **I don't write smut or anything too intense. I'm way too young for that :P. So this one is just another fluffy romance in an Alternate universe. Got this idea from a scene in my dream(I know, It's weird right?) and also from the song ' Perfect Strangers', hence the title.**

 **So here is a slight introduction of this Universe. Please note that not all of my stories will be in this universe:**

 _ **In this AU, Spiderman's identity as Peter Parker is known by everyone. Liz Allan is the hottest and corniest girl at the School, but can be nice sometimes. The whole School falls for her but she has a big crush on the webhead. (Sorry for this as for I really hate Liz, MJ or Gwen, but I respect if you do like them.) Harry Osborn is the same, cool and cute billionaire-son. All the rest of the characters are almost the same with a little exception of Ava. Ava Ayala is an A+ student and a Know-It-All. She is a tomboy and cannot bear anyone insulting her friends. But of course she is a human too and she has a weakness. She had never had a boyfriend or a single crush. One prom night, something happens that forever changes the twosome's fates. Will they get together or go their different ways? NOTE- SPIDEY OR ANY OF THE OTHER CHARACTERS DO NOT WORK WITH OR FOR SHIELD OR ANY OTHER SPY ORGANISATION.**_

 **ZWENJOY!**

 **Chapter 1: Great Expectations**

Peter Parker or Spiderman as everyone knew him now was a not-too-normal American teenager. A science nerd who got bullied until he revealed his powers to the world and possibly to the supervillians too. Of course his alias made him the most popular guy at the Midtown high or heck, the whole of New York City. Every girl in the neighborhood wanted to go out with him. Even though it was just to show off that they got a shot with a superhero. He had become a very big superhero sensation in the city, a close second to Tony Stark, his idol.

Peter was beyond happy with his latest decision. He was getting all the attention a teenager could dream of. It was like he was rediscovering his new self. A better, cooler and passionate self. Everything around him seemed to be changed. Like he had entered a whole new world of glamour. He found himself giving off autographs, kisses and interviews. Almost like a celebrity.

"But that's not what we're supposed to be, dude. You're inviting trouble", Luke said, in his brotherly tone. Of course not everyone was happy with his decision, and especially his teammates. They thought that it was foolish of him to leave himself and the people close to him, vulnerable to danger.

"Couldn't you just be happy for me?", Peter snapped back, making everyone's eyebrows to raise. This was something that had changed recently. Peter's behavior. He had became more aggressive and self-centric. The popularity had clearly taken toll of him. He had earned a lot of friends in a couple of days that he didn't feel the need to take advice from anyone.

 _They're just jealous._ He thought.

"Look Peter, we're just trying to be realistic. Sure we're happy that everyone loves you now but we just want you to be careful. They're wasn't really a necessary move to do all of this," Danny replied, smiling.

"Yeah thanks Fortune Cookie. Or better No-thanks. Why don't you guys see the brighter side of this?", Peter said, annoyingly.

" What bright side huh? You bragging off yourself with all the fame and stuff? Or because your one time biggest bully is now your newest fan? Or because that sexy Blondie the whole School dies for has an eye on you? Come on Parker!", Sam blew right into his face.

Peter was downright furious right now. He wanted to punch the shorter boy so hard in his mouth. But somehow, he contained himself and walked away without another word. There a group of hotshots stood to welcome him. He disappeared in them not even bothering to look back at his so-called best friends.

"Well that went really well", A known voice startled the group, causing everyone to turn around. It was a certain hazel-haired boy, dressed in a black sweater. Harry Osborn. The son of former Goblin and billionaire entrepreneur, Norman Osborn. His usual cheerful smile was nowhere to be seen but instead replaced with a slight disappointment.

" Umm, sorry to interrupt like that. Peter's really getting hang of this huh?", then he just let out a dry chuckle, trying to hide his despair.

"Did something happen, Harry?", Ava, who was silent all the way along, finally spoke up. She knew how much Harry meant for him and he wouldn't do anything to hurt him. But lately, she couldn't be sure of any one thing related to him. Also she had known Harry for a long time now. She knew that something was bothering him. And she couldn't see any of her friends like this.

"Nothing too serious, Ava. I guess Peter just needs a break. We all do. Trust me, I know Peter. He ain't the way he is behaving right now. It's just the spur of what everything is going around here", he said, smiling. _Fake-smiling to be exact._

 _He wanted to believe that, but did he?_

"Yeah, we hope so. Just don't let him get on your nerves. After all, he still our Pete, right?", she said.

"Yeah", everyone agreed in unison and then went to their respective classes. No one was in a mood to study but that was the best probable option to get their minds off these events. The upcoming days were going to be hard for them, even for Peter.

 _Oh man, oh man, oh man. How did I not think about this? But out of all the people, parker was supposed to be Spiderman? This doesn't make any sense._

Flash wondered as he scratched the back of his head. This guy was the one to be taken aback the most. Who wouldn't? The guy you bullied whole your life just turns out to be the destination of your life. Your hero. Then he tried to remember all of his encounters with Spidey and things suddenly began to become crystal clear. Of course Flash had suspected that the wall-crawler knew a little too much about him and _God,_ he behaved too different around him. Like he had hated him more than anything could be hated. But regardless, he had saved his life a couple of times as that was his 'Duty'.

Suddenly Flash was feeling guilty and weak in the gut. Why had he been so harsh to Peter? They weren't friends, but not exactly enemies either. He just liked to trouble him, because he was weak and could not stand for himself. But little did he knew how strong he was now that Flash himself felt so petty in front of him.

"Should I apologize to him?", he spoke to himself as he saw Peter coming right through the opposite side of the hallway, laughing with a couple of hickchicks around him. Flash approached to him with a sheepish look on his face. Peter's smiled fell as he eyed his former-bully with a disapproving look.

" Hey, Peter. I….I want to talk about something. Umm..can we?", he asked.

"Uhh..sure Flash", he said slightly confused with the unexpected politeness of Flash. They both walked down the end of the corridor and settled in the balcony. Flash was quiet for some time, not sure what to say. So Peter was the first one to speak up,

"What is it, Flash?"

"Parker, I…I just wanted to say sorry for whatever I've done till date. I'm sorry for troubling you all this time…"

Peter was surprised by his comment. Peter wasn't sure if Flash even knew the word 'Sorry'. The Flash standing before him was very different than the Flash he knew. But he also knew how much Flash had idolized Spiderman. Him. He thought he should say something but Flash just kept going.

"…I know that you wouldn't forgive me after everything I've done. But please, I just want to make sure that there is no tension between us anymore", he looked up at Peter with almost deadpan eyes.

If it was any other time, Peter would have just considered it to be another prank, but after seeing the seriousness in his eyes, he had to admit that every bit of thing he said was true. Peter's expression warmed as he placed his hand on his toned shoulder and grinned. What would be more joyous than your freaking bully apologizing to you?

"Hey, It's alright Flash. You know I never really kept anything in mind about us", He said.

" So we cool then?", Flash asked, dumbfounded.

" We're friends already, Genius ", then he let out a small chuckle and added, ". And I can't afford to upset my biggest admirer."

He winked and both of them laughed as if it was the joke of the century.

Then Flash's phone beeped. It was a text from one of his teammates of the School's football team. They were going to do practice for the upcoming Interschool Football Tournament. So he slipped the phone back into his pocket and looked up at Peter.

" Alright, Thanks Pete. I gotta hustle now. You know Net practice and all the stuff. See ya", He said as he almost ran into the crowded corridor, not forgetting to wave at his now-friend.

"Yeah sure. Good Luck", Peter waved back as he smiled to himself.

A smile found a way to his lips as he watched Flash make his way through the crowd. He never considered him to be his enemy. There were just these kinda people that trouble others just because they are fed up with their lonely life. And that wasn't Flash's fault that he was that kind of person. Peter always had a sympathetic side for the taller boy, though he never showed it up. But he was more than happy that the tension between them had been released.

 _And who says this hasn't brought up anything good?_

And then he grinned for the umpteenth time that day. Everything had been going on so well and perfectly fine. With the exception of his encounter with his buddies. He wasn't sure if he could call them that anymore. He sighed heavily.

 _Seriously they couldn't be a tad bit happy for me? I never expected them to be so difficult._

That was what his mind said. But his heart knew that they were just worried about him. But he wasn't a kid anymore right? He was a Seventeen-year old for god's sake and was done with people treating him like a kid. He thought about talking to them but then just gave it up. They would probably never understand him. Some other time, he thought.

 _ **In the Literature class:**_

The usual buzzing chatter was going on in the class as students assembled after the Lunch Break. Liz Allan, the hottest sensation of Midtown High, was sitting on a bench next to Peter's with a group of sparkly girls surrounding her. Sam, Danny and Luke had Calculus classes so they were in the next classroom.

Ava was quietly reading an English Novel, in the corner of the room. _'Great Expectations'._ The legendary work of Charles Dickens which happened to be in syllabus of literature. MJ was right next to her but was busy writing something in her notebook, probably homework. They gave each other smiles and nodded as a sign of gesture and acknowledgement.

Harry was in here too, speaking with the kid next to him. Even though he seemed normal, she knew he wasn't. No one really was.

She was startled by a loud sound of giggles. She peeped up to find that glittery group of girls chuckling. Ava wasn't against them or something but they were so annoying some times. Ava was glad that she had a female best friend like MJ who wasn't all fancy. So she just ignored them and focused back to her original task.

Liz pretended to act normal but it was clearly seen in her sapphire eyesthat she was waiting too eagerly for a certain someone. No mattered how hard she tried to hide it, the whole School knew that she had a little too Big crush on the brunette. The giggles and laughter stopped as soon as he entered the room. He was a literal Prince Charming, or as the girls would call it, The Spider Charming!

Liz was not only fascinated by him being Spiderman. No. Peter had always allured her more than any other Players at the School. He was just different. Differently Attractive, which just made her drool over him since the Middle School. But now he seemed like a Total package of everything that a girl would want. He was Smart, Brains, Funny, Had an Athletic Build and not to mention his perfectly edged jaw line. He was Good-looking, any girl would admit that, except Ava.

She always thought him to be a Knucklehead. Even though a caring Knucklehead.

He had been dressing up more thoughtfully. His wore a Red Tee which aligned linearly with his muscle-line, atop Black Baggy jeans. He looked Sexier with his slightly spiked Brown hair. It wasn't a makeover but still this new look of Peter was admired by everyone, even Sam had mentioned it earlier that morning.

Ava just gave Peter a quick glance and then shut the book as he was followed by Mrs. Tennyson, the Literature teacher.

"Now, settle down everyone", she said in a soft, motherly voice. English teachers tend to be nice naturally.

Everybody took their seats. Peter sat down next to Liz and took out his textbook. Mrs. Tennyson started the class. The class was almost halfway but that didn't matter to Liz at all. Her eyes were all fixed on the beautiful boy beside her. Peter did catch her staring at him but didn't say a thing. Not that he enjoyed that, he just didn't wanted to lose his focus. From the lesson.

Ava just rolled her eyes at how much fond Liz was of the webhead. MJ snickered silently as she nudged Ava in the arm. She gave MJ a confusing look which make her snicker even more louder. Mrs. T heard that and frowned. She called out,

" Miss. Watson, would you please recap the name of the protagonist of our current novel?"

"Uhh..Yeah sure", MJ stood up, thought for a second then the words slipped out of her mouth," Maybe It's…

"Philip Pirrip", Two voices shouted simultaneously. Everyone looked in their direction, including their teacher, stunned.

The two faces, which belonged to Peter and Ava respectively, turned red of embarrassment. Then they looked into each other's contrast eyes for a moment and then quietly sat down. Ava had read the book so many times that it was not possible for her in this lifetime to forget 'Pip'. But Peter reading something this serious was a new thing to her, which was a change she actually quite didn't mind. She freaking loved this book. Then she remembered that she had just practically shouted that out in front of the class.

Peter, too was feeling awkward to have all the eyes on his face.

"Sorry, Mrs. Tennyson", they both said in unison, Again. They looked wide-eyed at each other.

This time it made some of the students to titter and chuckle. A small smile formed on Mrs. T's lips as she said, " It Okay. Sit down."

" Yeah, That's what I wanted to say. It was just under the tip of my nose", MJ smiled broadly as Mrs. T just shaked her head.

"Very good, Miss. Watson. Now class, as Pip and Estella…."

MJ laid back in her chair, let out a relieved sigh and said, " Hey thanks guys. I really didn't knew that one."

Ava looked at her and chuckled nervously. She thought of the strange co-incidence as she watched Peter shift awkwardly in his seat with Liz continuingly staring at him. Maybe she was doing just too much. Maybe she should just let it go and give him some time, Ava thought.

 _Because she knew that Peter wasn't a womanizer. He never was. Never will be…._

It was almost 5:00p.m, which meant that the School was over. And more on, It was Friday, so everybody was planning something for the weekend.

Peter had been invited to over a dozen of parties, but he couldn't go to all of them at once. And furthermore he didn't wanted to break anyone's heart. So he kindly declined all of the invitations and had decided to spend his time lousing on the couch reading some comics.

While walking through the hallway, towards the exit; Liz called out to Peter.

"Hey Peter. It's Liz. Elizabeth Allan from English class", she said cheerfully as a streak of her long, blond hair fell upon her face.

"Yeah, Yeah. I know. So what's up?, he asked looking at the floor.

"Nothing much. I…I just wanted to say that you really did good back there", she spoke enthusiastically.

"Uhh…yes. Actually I'm a big fan of Dickens' works", Peter replied and suddenly that incident flashed in front of him. His mind drifted off to Ava. He fazed as he recollected that awkward moment. That's when Liz's concerned voice broke through his trance.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Oh, I'm good. I just gotta go now. You know the hero has some home duties too. See ya", with that he gave her a sweet smile to which she almost blushed.

"Yeah, okay. So Friends?", she asked sheepishly.

" We're already friends Elizabeth", he said waving and then ran towards the exit.

The way he said _'Elizabeth'_ just made her fall for him more. It made her feel like a Queen. It felt so right. She blushed again as she watched him descending the stairs. Usually Liz Allan would be a sucker for Saturdays. But now she couldn't wait for Monday. She couldn't wait to see him again….

Peter made his way towards the gate and started walking by the footpath. He stopped to find out his friends on the opposite side of the road. The guys didn't notice him. One part of Peter wanted to go there and apologize for everything stupid he had said that morning, but the other part was afraid that they wouldn't understand why he had to do it. Why he had to reveal his identity even when he didn't want to. Why had he put the lives of his dear ones at stake.

He tried to look away but Ava had caught his eye. He looked into her deep browns as he lipped, ' I'm Sorry', with an apologizing look on his face.

She slowly nodded in understanding, as his lips turned to a slight curve, before walking away. That was the moment that Ava knew that he was still the same Peter she knew. The same Peter underneath all those walls. The same Peter who was her closest friend. Who IS her closest friend….

 **So that's it for the first chapter. I was originally going to do this as a one-shot but then I decided to write a flesh-out story, as one of my readers requested me to do. So yeah, Peter wouldn't really do such a thing without a very strong reason behind it right? So why did he have to do it? Find out in the next chappie. Also I'm going to do a love triangle. Hope y'all are okay with that ^ ^. So stay tune as much of the drama is gonna unfold in the next chapter. I want to do it as small as possible but don't worry it will be quite long. Can't say much anything right now. Hope you will like this one. Zwaggy out.**


	2. Saturday Night

**Back with the second chapter. I've tried to show more of a softer side of Ava through this chapter. I wanted to get this out as soon as I could because I want to finish this before starting the work on the sequel to 'Moving On'. So I'm sorry if this doesn't turn all the way up to your expectations. I really want to explain my readers as to why Peter chose to reveal his identity. Well I didn't have many ideas for this but then I chose the best possible one to fit the storyline. You'll see that in the following chapters. Hope you like my attempt.**

 **Also Teen Titans is another one of my favorite fandom. So I just wanted to give them a little mention over here. I know that most of you are aware about them so this addition won't be a problem, I guess.**

 **Too much talking. Let's get into the Story. Thanks for giving this a shot.**

 **ZWENJOY!**

 **Chapter 2: Saturday Night**

Saturday. The liveliest and most happening day in New York City. Almost everybody in the school had plans for the weekend. Parties, Hangouts, Dates, Concerts had everyone busy. Spidey was no exception. He had many invites too, but didn't go any of those fancy events. The Hero needed some rest too, and what could be a better place to relax than your good old couch?

So Peter's plan was simple, his couch, a few cans of soda and dozens of comics. Aunt May was out of town for some of her office work, much to Peter's delight. Now even if you're a good guy, you don't always want some adult supervision around, right? And also he was relieved that she would be safe away from him.

Aunt May was not aware of this antic decision of her nephew, for which he was thankful. Even though he knew that she would eventually find out. So he allowed himself to lay on the couch relaxingly in Khaki shorts and his signature white tee and picked up a classic 'New Teen Titans' issue.

Peter had read so many superhero and detective comics, but Teen Titans always had a special place in his heart. He had loved them since he was a kid and always dreamt of becoming like them someday. Brave and Selfless. They had inspired him, in even the gravest of situations. And now, being a superhero himself, he could relate to the legends so much. So instead of the comic strip, his mind peeped into the past, when he had met his very own team, for the first time.

He always thought himself to be Robin, the leader. Even though Sam disagreed at first, but then all of them had realized that. Looking up to the plans, preparing for the battles and throwing in the last victorious punch line. But unlike Robin, Peter hated training and jumped straight towards the troublemakers. But despite his bad sense of humor, he was hardworking, selfless, strong spirited and had a shady past, much common with the tall, masked Titan.

There was Sam, who was just as goofy as the green shapeshifter. Both were disapproving sometimes, but genuinely cared for the team.

Peter thought Luke to be the Cyborg, the big black guy who always got their backs. The brother of the team and a kind, large-hearted person who Peter respected a lot.

Starfire and Danny didn't have much similarities. They were both sort of outsiders, but still caring and affectionate. A calming soul amidst the chaos.

And then there was Ava. Just as mysterious and dark as the violet empath. Raven was the Titan, he admired the most. Not just because she was the most powerful one, but also because underneath all of her demon and icy walls, she had a gentle and loving heart. Something that he thought what Ava was. She wasn't so glittery like all the other girls, no she was different. She was just a simple girl, with a violent past, which she used to hide all of her softer emotions.

And a small smirk appeared on Peter's face, as he began picturing all of them in the titans uniforms, one by one. When he came to Ava, his smirk turned into a full, wide grin as he stared at the image of a certain dark girl with long, violet clock covering her lean body. That's when he yawned and within a minute or two, he was slumbering in his couch, holding the comic close to his chest.

 _ **At Manhattan Mall:**_

"Hell Yeah, Just look at those headphones, I've gotta have one of those. Let's go, Ava", MJ squeaked cheerfully as she almost ran into the electronics store. Ava sighed heavily and followed her best friend. This was the 20th store they had been in the whole mall and still MJ wasn't satisfied with her so called 'light shopping'. But her smiling emerald eyes brought a small smile on Ava's face.

It was Saturday and her father had just given her some bucks, so MJ had planned to buy some stuff at the mall. Of course nobody goes alone to a mall. So somehow she had persuaded Ava to come along with her, a huge feat accomplished. Ava wasn't really a outgoing person. On weekends, she would be lying on her bed, reading some trashy Romance novels, with all the cheesy stuff.

Now, anyone would wonder how a tough girl like her find some High School love stories amusing. She wasn't only an occasional reader, but a diehard fanatic of those. _Thank God someone didn't give her one named 'Webs of Passion'!_

She would read them especially when she felt lonely. Ava would pick up her favorite and would imagine herself instead of the female protagonist. This would seem as a very childish antic, but it still made her feel comfortable, and less lonesome. She would usually roll her eyes when young couples around the school cuddled during the winter snows , but a very tiny part of her wished that she would be able to feel the comfort of being hugged, someday. She had almost given up on love, and always reminded herself that she was the White Tiger. She preferred to do training every once a while to keep her emotions from running high. There were so many priorities in her life, she had no place for some stupid kisses.

There was only one person that herself that knew about her unusual obsession. Peter. Ava still chuckled silently when she remembered the incident.

 _"Hey, that's my Math Homework….", Ava demanded as she laid effortlessly in her hot pink bikini. Peter had just snatched away the book from her hands, without a warning. He turned it around, giving the content a quick glance, a playful smirk appearing on his face._

 _Within a second, he tore off the cover of the pretended Math book to reveal a certain 'Thundering Hearts' beneath it. He smirk grew wider as he threw back the book at Ava, just to find her sheepish face, which was a once in a lifetime moment. He walked away without a word, but his teasing blue eyes still locked with hers._

 _Even after a week, he kept on buzzing about the 'Snow Day'. Ava tried to dodge him and just ignore his puns. But he was a natural stealth specialist, and appeared just out of the blue, making him the first person to freak her out. His silly antics only stopped when she threatened to use her claws on him. This made him fall back and she was relieved. But she was sure not to read another fantasy when Peter was goofing around._

And suddenly Ava started smiling, grinning, chuckling then laughing as she remembered all the props he pulled up to trouble her, which of course boomeranged on him. He just had that charm. _Old-Parker Charm_ as he liked to call it. The shoppers around raised their eyebrows at her sudden outburst. MJ moved closer to her, astonished she asked," Ava, you okay?"

Then suddenly she realized that she was in a Mall, with many pairs of eyes staring at her. She flushed to an unimaginable extent and nodded slowly. MJ smiled gently, took her hand and walked her into the store.

"Thanks", Ava muttered. But MJ seemed to be lost in the beauty of the gadgets around her.

"Whoa! Just look at those damn…..", she kept blabbering on but Ava really didn't pay attention to her. She shook her head to herself, not because of the whole 'HAHA' scenario but because of Peter's behavior.

She wouldn't admit it but she kinda missed that goofy, sheepish Peter. She always wanted the boys to grow up and behave a little mature. But now that he did, taking all the responsibility of his decision, she just wished he didn't. Not because she wanted to be bossing around, but because she sort of liked his positive, naïve attitude. It just brought the best in her. Even though he was irritating and troublesome, she felt somewhat secure around him.

 _What are you thinking, Ava?_

A voice in her mind asked her and she quickly shot open her eyes. MJ was just paying at the counter, smiling at her recent buy. She came up to Ava and squeaked like a child on Christmas morning.

"Finally! I got this! I've been wanting these headsets for like a couple of years", she said cheerfully.

"I'm happy for you, MJ", Ava replied with a smile.

When they were out of the mall and along the sidewalk, Ava spoke up," Hey do you think things would be the same again?"

MJ frowned and looked up at her best friend. She clearly knew what Ava meant. MJ was Peter's childhood friend and she was as flabbergasted as them when she came to know that Peter was Spiderman, but then everything had been alright by now. What could possibly go so damn wrong?

"Look, Ava things are just as good as they were before, okay? So stop worrying, you know Peter's got this. And after all this was his decision right? Ava, everything is just as same. You gotta stop doing that", her expression warmed.

"Maybe you're right", she sighed. There was no use wasting time over that now. She still needed some answers, or at least some clues. There wasn't a way she was letting Peter get away with this. And the nightfall was the perfect time to talk some sense in him.

 **At Parker Residence:**

He may be a popular superhero now, but Peter still was just as sloppy. Peter slowly opened his ocean blue eyes and lazily turned his head towards the table clock.

22:32 _(10:32 p.m)_ flashed in bright red, dot-metric letters.

"Huh, 22:32. So that will be 5,6,7..Holy Shit! It's almost late night. Stupid 24-hour clock", he said as she hurriedly got out of his comfy seat, his comic falling out of its place, If it wasn't for his powers, then he would have stumbled upon a whole can of soda and into his beloved comics. He thanked his reflexes and climbed up the stairs, into his room.

It was his usual routine to go for a night patrol. Even though crimes happened in the broad daylight too, they were nothing as to confronted to the night life of New York City. All the small, narrow alleys hided some dark secret. Some wrongdoing. And that is the place for your friendly neighborhood.

So Peter put on his costume, casted away the window and swung into the full moonlight.

NYC looked even more lively on Saturday. The streets were still crowded with people, some drunk some almost. Groups of teenagers hung out in the cafeterias around the street. Everything was normal, just as any other time.

A certain webhead stood over the tip of a skyscraper, looking down at the magnificent view of the city. His mask was in his hand. His hair gel had been disappeared by the shower he took earlier that evening, so his hair waved smoothly with the rhythm of the flowing wind. Millions of thoughts raced through his mind right now. The most prominent one being the one of guilt. He turned down his head, a shadow hiding his sapphire eyes.

After a while he shook his head and raised his hands to put on his mask. That's when a firm, feminine voice alarmed the arachnid.

"I don't suppose there is a need to put it on, now", He turned around only to be met with Tiger's golden mask eyes. His eyes kinda lit up but he sighed and said,

"Ava, I…"

"It's White Tiger", she commanded.

He wasn't taken aback this time. He knew that she wasn't mad at him for doing this, but for not telling her. Whenever Peter needed to clear his mind, he would talk to Ava. That just made him feel comfortable because she listened to him without complaining. She knew she had always got his back. But he wasn't quite sure if telling this to her would be a good idea. After all he didn't wanted to put her in the face of danger. There was so much he could shout out right now, but instead he just let out a small, nervous chuckle.

" What's so funny, Spiderman?", Ava snapped, groaning at the uncertainty of the webhead.

"Hey, did you check out the sequel of Thundering Hearts? It's named 'Withering Souls'," He tried to swap the topic, his usual playful tone somewhat returning as a slight smirk started growing on his face.

Ava's eyes went wide. She didn't know how to react; whether to be embarrassed, confused or completely out of her mind. How could this boy manage to be so…so unrealistic? She shot an annoying look to him and spoke up, trying not to lose her cool,

" What in the world are you talking about?"

He let out another dry laugh before lifting his gaze to hers. He sighed and ran his gloved fingers through his rich, smooth chocolate hair. His smile fell and he dropped his hands, balling them into fists. He was cursing himself for not being able to tell her the truth when she was practically the most genuine person who would understand him.

Finally seriousness returned in his eyes as he stepped closer to the white costumed figure. He looked straight into her eyes with such ferocity that she could not dare to break the eye contact with him.

Peter took a deep breath, fighting with all the intense thoughts in his brain, spoke up after a full minute, " I…I'm sorry Ava. But I can't tell you anything right now."

" So there is something huh..? I knew it", he voice echoed with the same tone.

"Yeah, I just want you to know that I didn't do this on my free will. I had to, I had no choice. Please trust me and don't ask anything more", Peter replied lowering his gaze, his voice faltering.

Ava's expression warmed as she kept a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She smiled under her mask and spoke calmly," Hey, you know you could always talk to me, share with me right?"

Peter slowly nodded his head but then suddenly jerked away from her, much to her surprise.

"I know Ava, but I can't afford to put your life at stake too. I can't bear to lose anyone else close to me. Please just…just stay out of it", he felt pain piercing through him a he said those words. Every bit of that was true, but it hurted him to say it, especially to Ava.

Ava too, knew how much troubled and possibly even scared her teammate was, and she could feel that something was disturbing him. His optimistic nature, long gone was replaced by a constant state of tension. She tried to reach out to him, speaking as softly as she could,

"But, Peter just try and….

Before she could get those words out, Peter replied cutting her off and putting his mask on his face, " Don't", and ran towards the edge of the building, leaping out.

She watched him, as his figure swinged from buildings , until his body slowly faded and was out of her sight. She could only think about him right now. What could be the reason that he had to take such a big decision? And was it so hostile that he couldn't tell her? There was no way Ava was letting him going through this alone. She was worried that something fatal would happen to Peter, which she certainly would not let happen.

Peter swinged round the city aimlessly, ignoring the waves and cries of his name from the people, especially his fan girls from around the streets. He finally settled on a nearby building, away from their eyes.. His mind fully focused on Ava. She knew she wouldn't sit still until she found out what was up with him. Something that he loved about her. A small smile appeared on his face as a certain dark girl with long violet cloak passed through his memory again. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily before turning at the bright, beautiful stars in the dark night sky. This was the most significant Saturday night he ever had, and possibly will ever have. A tinge of sadness filled his blue eyes as he muttered under his breath.

 _I'm really sorry, my Raven…_

 **(Sighs) It's out at last. So I would really like to know what you think about it. I'm really getting into writing this. I hope I was able to portray some moments between these two. You will know the reason in the following chapters, as the story will unfold. I really wish to up this to your expectations as many of you have seemed to got into it. That really means a lot. And yeah about the whole 'Teen Titans' connection-I always pictured Spidey's team with the titans so it was just a little surprise! Also thank all of the following people for their precious reviews:**

 _ **Burke23: As always, that's so nice of you. I'm glad to have a reader like you who supports most of my stories. Thanks again…^ ^**_

 _ **cabrera1234: Ok I guess. I believe in ship and let-ship so I respect all of your pairings. Also thank you for giving my story a shot. And if you excuse me for being bold, it's Natasha *Romanoff, XD**_

 _ **Death Fury: Aww, Thnx buddy.**_

 _ **Man285: Yeah, we are SO alike. Thnx for the review.**_

 _ **The Story's Shadow: Yeah, it's like way odd and unusual, but I thought that 'Hey, why not?'. We could always do something new than the usual. And yeah that I'm gonna do that love triangle, so I hope it turns out good.**_

 _ **Jpew2007: Oh, Thnx. Okay not exactly 'Tarantinoing' it but yeah there will be something more than cliché. Also here is one of the SpiderTiger moment that you requested. Well it suited the storyline so I added it and there will surely be more of these.**_

 _ **GrandmasterVenom: Yeah, Thnx buddy.**_

 _ **Also I'm planning on putting an established Sam/MJ in between. Please let me know what you think about it. Zwaggy out.**_


	3. Cerulean Fantasies

**Okay, okay I know that it's been like forever since I last updated, but come on, the girl's got some school work to do. Anyway I finally did this chapter, which is so far my most favorite one. So presenting before you the third chapter. Well this one not really needed in the storyline but I just decided to do it because after all the characters need a break too right? So yeah here it is. Now I've never been to New Jersey, or heck not even to the US so excuse me if some of my descriptions will not be to the point.**

 **I'm sorry if I could not describe the starting scenes perfectly, I'm not much of an out-going person, you know. So there will be some what you call 'slight smooching' here. Gosh, I love that kind of stuff! Anyway let's get you into the story.**

 **ZWENJOY!**

 **Chapter 3: Cerulean Fantasies**

 _It was almost an adjacent place to paradise. The breeze blew slowly, whistling merry tunes as it hit the palm trees in the distance. The sand beneath felt unreasonably smooth and welcoming. And who could miss the magnificent cerulean water spread across the miles? It was crystal clear, cool and beautiful. The vastness of the ocean was an embracing experience. The setting sun at the horizon of the ocean seemed like a smirking child, warm and innocent. This was a perfect place to be. This was a place where you could lose yourself, amidst the bustling nature and beauty. And not just one type of beauty…_

 _She adjusted her sunglasses, while smiling contently at a certain someone. There he stood, with his messy brown hair flowing gently to the pace of the wind. His soft skin reflected the sunshine and he seemed to glow in some radiance. His eyes were bright and they were smiling. You may be wooed by the surroundings but to her he was the most alluring thing present over there. Everything else was faint in front of his charming face. She didn't care how good the ocean was, all she could see was him; her guy._

 _Seeing her lost in his thought, he walked up towards her. Gazing into her emerald greens his hands reached out to her stomach, tickling it slightly. She quickly swap back to reality and shrugged, making him chuckle. His laugh, which was her weakness. But she pouted like a child and folded her arms before saying, "What are you? A five year old?"_

 _He smiled lopsidedly before answering, "Maybe, but at least I'm not a slow oldie!"_

" _What? You're so dead now!" she exclaimed whilst chasing him._

 _Surprisingly she was faster than he had expected. She caught up and jumped upon him, making him fall over her on the golden sand beneath them. Both of them stared into each other's equally stunning eyes before she smirked._

" _Not bad for a slow oldie, huh?" she teased him, rubbing her nose against his then getting up to her feet._

" _Possibly but now let's test your escape skills, shall we?" he swiftly turned up and wrapped his strong arms around her with a menacing smile curling his lips._

" _More like, kissing skills I suppose", she replied ruffling his hair, returning his flirty tone. He just rolled his eyes, aware of her terrible sense of humor. But he just knew what she meant. She licked her lips for once before leaning in. At last she could have him all to herself. She could have him all in herself. She just loved that feeling. But before she could feel soft flesh against her lips, she was hit by a wave. A wave of reality…._

Liz slowly opened her eyes only to find a more familiar location, a square room full of tables and chatter of students. Plates of unfinished meal lying almost on every single table. The usual smell of food. _Cafeteria._ Jeez, she hated this place. Seriously, her Brother Mark's room was less messy than the school's cafeteria.

When she searched for the source of the disturbance, she found that her best friend, Teresa was shaking her hysterically.

"Finally, Liz are you back with us?" Teresa sighed gently.

"Huh? What do you mean Ter?" she was completely unfazed right now. Wait where was that astounding ocean that perfect sunset, and most important of all, 'HER' boy? Was she..? No she couldn't be daydreaming, right?

"Liz, are you okay? You've been staring at god-knows-where for like 15 minutes or so. When we tried to talk, you just smiled to yourself. And now you don't even know that?" Teresa said in a worrying tone.

"Uh ah not just smiling, blushing to be exact. And we all know for whom that comes for", another girl, Taylor said in a knowing tone.

Everyone giggled silently except for Liz. She turned a slight shade of crimson.

"I'm…I'm fine. It's just that I might have been distracted for a while. I think I was sort of daydreaming", she answered, embarrassed. Then she told them about the whole situation. Like how it was so weird. Yet how much she liked it. And well, how that guy was none other than the web head.

The group busted into laughter as some people around eyed them. After calming down Tracie asked," Well isn't it ironic? I mean today morning we were told that we're going to Cape May ( **a beach in New Jersey)** for the annual school trip and now your little dream. Are we getting somewhere with this?" she added in a teasing tone to which everyone just 'Hmm-ed'.

Actually Midtown High had planned a relaxing trip to a nearby beach for the juniors just for a break from all of the bone-wreaking syllabus. It wasn't exactly a _'Nearby'_ trip as the journey was quite 3 hours long so they were going to stay for the night. There had been quite a buzzing of this sudden surprise in the 11th graders, to which Liz wasn't an exception.

The girls suddenly went all silent and smiled at each other knowingly. Liz straightened up a bit and did her best to look normal. Peter was just walking by, exiting the cafeteria when his eyes locked up with those of Liz. He smiled genuinely and waved at her. She did nothing but gulped hard.

 _Did he just? Yes he did. Oh My God! I can't believe it…._

She just stared at the exit long after he was gone. The girls were already giggling.

"Earth to Elizabeth", Taylor smirked. Liz just rolled her eyes.

"It's official now. Our dearest Liz Allan has just foreshadowed the beach day", Rae announced.

"Amen to that!" everyone echoed in unison.

'Just shut up already", Liz said pretending to be annoyed. Suddenly she remembered something. She quickly stood up on her feet, "Hey I just got something to do. I'll be back in five", she said before walking out of the room.

"Anyone wanna guess where she's heading?" Taylor smirked.

"PETER!" everyone amplified once again.

Peter was walking down the hallway into his next class, French. That's when he heard a certain feminine voice calling his name. He knew that voice too well, Ava. He quickly turned around to find out a certain dark haired girl walking up towards him. There weren't many students in the hallway so he was actually quite glad.

"Hey Ava", he replied smiling. Something about him told Ava that he was in a good mood. Well, he was a happy-go-lucky person. Correction, he used to be. Anyway, she confronted him and shared his smile.

"HI Pete. How you've been?" she asked genuinely. Peter was stunned a little. This was a new thing to him. Ava had never asked neither told him anything out-of-business. But he actually quite liked this little loosened up version of Ava.

"Never better", he said with a thumbs up with his gaze focused on her face. An awkward silence passed before Peter cleared his throat.

"So about the other night, I'm sorry that I stormed off like that. I was just…disturbed, you know", he said avoiding eye contact.

"No, it's okay. I can understand. This wouldn't be easy", she said in a slight monotone.

"Yeah, I mean no. It isn't that bad…" he trailed off thinking abruptly as to why only Ava was the one who could understand him this well. It was almost like she could read his mind. Like they had some kind of internal bond within them. A tap on his shoulder startled him out of his trance.

"Hello...? Peter….? Is Peter Parker still alive in there?" she said and giggled slightly.

"Uhhh…hehe", he chuckled nervously before he noticed something.

He realized that he couldn't help but gaze at the brown eyed girl in front of him. He couldn't take his eyes off her. He missed her laugh, he missed her lighter side and he missed her beauty. He was surprised how he never realized truly how beautiful Ava was, but now he was able to recognize her features in a whole new way. He loved it when she let go of her softer emotions, it was just that she wasn't the most open person. He joined in with her as they both continued to laugh until a voice merged in with them.

"Hey there Peter", A sweet voice called out and in a moment there stood a slender blonde with a fresh hue of red on her face. She nodded at Ava but her full attention seemed to be only towards the wall crawler.

"Hey, Elizabeth right? Nice to meet you again." He said with his usual smile.

"Yeah, thanks. But I don't suppose that I know you", she said turning towards Ava.

"Oh well I'm Ava Ayala…" she began but was cut off by Peter.

"She's one of my closest friend, he paused to notice her secret smirk but then again continued, and Ava this here is Liz Allan and I think that you might know her."

"Yes of course. It's a pleasure to meet you. Well you guys continue I gotta go. See you later." She waved and moved towards her class. Liz waved back but then she thought about Ava. She really was a lucky girl. To be able to be so close to Peter. Of course not in that way, but still she was a tiny bit jealous because he seemed to be very relaxed when around her. Like he could share everything with her.

"So you wanted to say something?" Peter asked casually.

"Yeah actually I wanted to ask you about the trip. I mean are you coming to Cape May?" she replied in a low tone.

"I don't know. I mean I gotta ask my Aunt if she's okay with it. I don't think that she'll have a problem so probably that a yes", he said, smiling.

"REALLY?" she squeaked loud enough for the whole corridor to hear. She quickly put her hands over her mouth after getting those words out.

"Whoa, you sure do have one hell of a voice", he said looking back and forth.

That made her blush madly. Geez, couldn't she just control her excitement?

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid….

She mentally cursed herself before saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry about that. Well I guess that's good that you'll be along there with me…No, no, no I mean not with me but... Ah never mind. See you", she grinned lopsidedly before disappearing, leaving Peter more confused than ever.

 _Seriously? Along with me?_

Liz face palmed herself as she remembered the previous encounter. That wasn't the best thing to say, she thought. She made her way to her table but her mind kept turning back to Ava. Damn, was she really just a friend? She could see the way he looked at her, with so much trust and sincerity and something else she couldn't quite decipher. Could he be in lo…No, no, no what are you thinking Liz? She's just a good friend of his, that's all.

Soon, the thoughts melted away from her mind as she joined in to the chatter with her friends.

When Peter entered French class, the teacher Mr. Dubois was already there. The red color on his face indicated that Peter was in a big trouble. He also saw Ava standing there with a book in her hands, an amused look on her face.

 _Crap, I'm late again?_

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dubois…" he started but was cut off by Dubois' firm voice.

"Francias, Monsieur Parker."

"Uhhh…je..." he started but he didn't know what to say. He just hoped that someone might help him. So finally Ava spoke up

"Je suis desole (I'm sorry)."

"Mademoiselle (miss) Ayala, it wasn't asked you to answer the question. And now Monsieur Parker, as a punishment you will have to answer some of the questions."

"Alright, I guess", he said smiling weirdly.

"Mademoiselle Ayala, please continue", he said narrowing his eyes.

"Okay. So can you translate Bonne-nuit into English?" She said calmly.

"Ha, I know that one. Its Good Night", he said, proudly.

"Merci?"

"Thank you."

"Salu or Bonjour?"

"Hello."

"Au revoir?"

"Goodbye."

"Beau?"

"Beautiful."

"Uhhh…"

"What happened Miss Ayala? Please continue. Mr. Parker is doing very well. Don't break his streak", he said smirking.

'Yeah, bring it on", he said smiling ear to ear.

She raised an eyebrow before speaking hesitantly, Je T'aime?"

"I love you."

The whole class busted into laughter. Ava gave him a death glare. Peter didn't know what was so funny but when he saw the smirk on Sam's face he came to a painful realization.

"Uh oh…" He knew that he was never going to hear the end of it.

"Does 'Je T'aime' really mean I love you? Or was it just to…you know? Sam said nudging Peter in the arm.

"Sam I'm telling you for the last goddamn time that it was a freaking mistake", he said with a huge frown.

"Yeah, tell that to the whole school", he said with a vicious smile.

 _Jeez_

The whole school had been buzzing with what they so-called 'confession'. Seriously, there was nothing to talk much about. It was just a spur of Peter's excitement. Nothing of it was really true. But the school just needed something to chew into. And that something was that Peter said 'I love you' to Ava. Many didn't even knew the real incident. There were just rumors and false additions to actually what had happened. But of course, it was a high school and like all of its counterparts, these sort of things spread like fire. And it didn't take long until it reached Liz's ears.

Ava was fuming too. She knew that it was just a pure mistake but yet she was so furious right now. He could've said that he didn't know the answer. Or that this word didn't exist. Hell, he could've just thrown one of his lame-ass excuses. The girls around every corner were whispering about her. That's when her phone beeped.

" _I'm Sorry"._

She didn't need to move her head to notice whose message it was. Peter, of course. But she didn't wanted to talk anything about it right now. She just switched off her phone and walked out of the hallway. That's when she saw Liz coming from the other end. Her usual smile was nowhere to be seen but replaced by a furious expression. As they crossed paths, their eyes locked for a moment, but they were so flooded with jealousy and anger that Ava could not bear to see through them. So she just jerked her head and kept moving.

Liz couldn't hold that expression for long. She could feel her eyes flooding. She felt like she could cry at any moment now. Why? What had she ever done so wrong that this had happened? Why had Ava got what she deserved? Those all questions were for that only guy. The guy who had stolen her heart for the very first time. The guy who belonged to her.

Peter was in a bigger conflict.

 _Jeez, why did I even go to that fucking French class?_

That's when his mind raced through a thought. If he was only Peter Parker, this wouldn't have even mattered. But him being Spiderman changed everything, he realized that now. Nothing about him will ever be personal. And he knew that he was going to regret that. But the biggest issue right now was to convince and apologize to Ava. That was the greatest priority of our web head for now. Even if that meant sidelining a certain blonde who was just around the corner waiting for him. And the perfect opportunity for that was the school trip.

Everyone had plans for the journey, but no one knew what 'Cape May' had to offer them…

 **Okay so that's it for the 3** **rd** **chapter. I know I've been off for a while and this isn't the chapter to make up for it but still I hope that y'all will forgive me. The next chapter is going to be the big 'reveal'. So stay tuned for the drama unfolds, with Spidey stuck in-between two of the most brilliant girls of Midtown high amidst his identity crisis.**

 **As always, all of the gracious people who reviewed the last chapter:**

 **Man285: Thanks for your support. Well, I'm really glad that you think I'm creative XD. Don't worry, you'll know soon as to why Peter did this. Damn, how did you know that I was a RobRae shipper too? I guess because of the hints I gave in the chapter but anyway I gotta admit that you got a good eye in there!**

 **The Story's Shadow: Thank you for your generous review. I really look up to you. If I couldn't call you my idol, but an inspiration to all the budding writers like me. Yeah, MJ and Ava have less moments in the show so I thought that I could give them some.**

 **Death Fury: Aww, thanks dude. And here the new update is, Tada!**

 **DJKitKat12: Well in that case, Tiger: Raven, Nova: Beast Boy, Cyborg: Luke, Danny: Starfire, Spidey: Robin. I mentioned that in the chapter, just in case you didn't notice ;P**


	4. Little Misconceptions

**So the fourth chapter is up. Okay, okay, okay so don't get a heart attack as to how this lazy girl has been able to update in under a month. Well, I'm surprised as well. But anyway I am so dwelt inside this story now that I spent almost sleepless nights thinking about it, about the story. I read it over and over again until I was satisfied with what I wanted to do next. Well this is what gradually came up so I hope y'all like it.**

 **I had a very good time writing this one. I got to write all three of the main characters very fleshed out, or at least that's what I think anyway. This one's rather emotionally deeper chapter, and Peter will have his moments with both with the 'Pretty Girl' and the 'Level head'. Anyway let's get you into some dramatic stuff.**

 **ZWENJOY!**

 **Chapter 4: Little Misconceptions**

The light vermillion sunlight entered Peter's bedroom through the slightly ajar curtains, tickling his soft skin. Another beautiful and silent morning in New York City. Well it would not be so if Peter's house was near Times Square or something but he was glad that he lived away from those noises. In the Queens **(I** **suppose!)**. Who would not want to live in such a place? The morning's charm was everywhere, the light but sweet chirping of Robins echoed through the neighborhood. But that did not stir our Mr. Slumber hood.

He didn't wanted to get up just yet, so he tossed in his bed and pulled the covers upon his head. He was really tired. Who wouldn't be when you've been patrolling at least halfway through the night? A couple of minutes passed, and just as Peter was about to fall back into his sugar sleep, the morning alarm twitched and went off. He cursed to himself as he shut it by shooting his webs over, making the small machine to fall off in a corner of the room.

 _Good Boy, Stay there._

He thought as he slowly pushed away the comfort of his smooth bed and stood up to his feet, stretching out and letting a giant yawn. He scratched the back of his head. He was still in his costume, too lazy and tired to change it the night before. The tight spandex hadn't been a problem then as he almost instantly fell asleep. But now it was getting almost unbearable, with all the sweaty smell from all the swinging earlier. So he wasted no time rushing towards his bathroom to take a quick shower.

As he was making his way downstairs, he got a quick glance at the calendar. 28th February. Yup, this was the day. They were all heading to Cape May for some Beach fun. 5 days straight. He was already done with the packing so all he needed to worry about now was getting his body clean. So he wasted no time sprinting towards the lavatory.

Words couldn't explain how good it felt when Peter held his body under the hot stream of water. He felt like he was in the heaven. He could stay like that forever. He body was already beyond clean, but he just stood there, whole room was slight foggy with the warm bliss around him. His body was not ready to move yet but his brain said else. He knew he had to hurry or he'd be late to turn up at school, which he certainly didn't want to. So he quickly summed his shower up, threw up fresh boxers and some Bermuda shorts, then walking out of the bathroom and into his room.

He was ripping through his wardrobe for the right thing to wear, but he wasn't able to find anything. Finally, he put up some black casual jeans and a denim pullover hoodie. Setting his messy brown hair in a few hand swipes with mousse, he smiled brightly at his self. He was about get out of the door when he heard something jingle in his hoodie pocket. He reached his palm inside and grabbed what felt to be like a long and slender something. When he opened his fist however, his smile spread into an ear-to-ear grin. It was a long locket, with an Algerian 'P' hanging through the middle. It was a birthday gift from Ava, who had given it to him last year. He smiled and put it around his neck, his initial slightly falling just below his chest.

He remembered how he was so overwhelmed by her sweet gesture that he had pulled her into a tight hug right then and there, not caring who was peering through that time. And how she had pushed him away that instant, throwing back his own line _"Let's not get all mushy about it."_ But he could swear that he saw a faint shade of crimson creeping over her cheeks.

And probably that was the only thing which was his hope that she would forgive him for once. And he might probably even get to…

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ringing of his cellphone. He quickly snapped back to reality and answered his phone, a cheerful voice spoke up, which could only belong to MJ.

"Hey, Slinthead. You coming or what? Don't tell me you forgot it", she said almost instantly.

He could clearly imagine the smirk on her face right then. So he just let out a soft chuckle before replying, "Of course not. And you know what? This Hotshot's the only reason you'll be seeing most of the girls around there."

"Jeez, as if Peter. But at least I'm glad that you didn't faze away like those all the school trips in elementary school", she said.

"Yeah, you know me way too well MJ…, he paused for a spilt second before speaking up again…Umm, and hey I just wanted to ask that is she okay? I mean Ava?" He asked hesitantly.

"Aww, that's so cute. I didn't know that you cared so much about your girlfriend", she added smirking once again.

"Seriously, now? Real mature MJ. You know what happened back at the school. I…never mind. I'll talk to her later", he said as a shadow of sadness swept over his eyes.

"Hey, Peter don't worry. You know her, everything is going to be okay", she replied softly.

"If you say so", he said before hanging up.

He wanted to see Ava so badly right now. Explain her everything. Clear her misconceptions about him. Even though he knew that she would blast off right at him, he was ready to take it this time. He was ready to take responsibility of it. He just wanted her to talk with him again. He didn't know why but this urge was so strong, and it was burning inside of him. He couldn't afford to lose someone else close to him, not like this. And especially not Ava. Why? Because she truly was the most amazing girl that he had ever met.

When Peter showed up at the school, many of his classmates were already there. He just gawked at how much preparations these people had done. She shaked his head disbelievingly.

 _As if they are gonna be out for a year._

He thought at he looked at his own backpack. Then started walking towards the crowd of guys waiting on him. Even though his feet were moving, his eyes had were not stable. They kept searching for a certain someone. No mattered how hard he tried to look, or hear any trace of her he realized he couldn't. He wasn't even sure if she was even going to come or not. But he really wished she did.

After a while he was near that group of guys, he knew only a few of them including Flash. His train of thought was broken yet again as Flash's deep voice broke through.

"There is he. I thought you'd never come. Where were you, dude?" He asked genuinely.

"Uh...I was just late getting up. Had a lot of work last night, you know", he replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Work, eh? Hope it didn't drain you out, if you know what I mean", another broad-shouldered guy, Steve, Peter thought him to be, said with a smirk. The other guys just skimmed in with their hoarse voices.

Peter tried not to flush. He certainly didn't have time for that kind of 'Work', that too at his Aunt's house. So he just avoided to answer, and kept the eye roll to himself.

"Shake it off, Stevie. Not everyone loves to bang up every single night like you", Flash added, with a knowing look on his face.

Peter holded back the smile that was trying to form on his face. He just realized that Flash was actually defending him. And he was thankful to him for that.

"Yeah, whatever you say man", he said, raising his hands in surrender. That's when they heard an announcement being done.

"All students, please pay your attention here. We'll be leaving in 10 minutes, so I request y'all to get aboard your respective buses."

As soon as the announcement was made, there was a sudden rush of excitement everywhere. Peter realized that now he should get moving. There were three school vehicles for a total of 60 students and a teacher for a group of 20 students. He watched as the kids around him began to move towards the buses.

He had initially decided to go last but then remembered his sophomore year and certainly knew what going last meant. He would be stuck between teachers for the rest of the trip. So he gave up that thought, turned towards Flash and gesture him to follow.

Peter used his stealth skills to get past the crowd, Flash easily mimicking his actions, thanks to his fit physic. Soon they were at the door of the second bus and was about to climb when he hit somebody to the side. He quickly jerked back and turned to only find the beautiful blonde standing over there, a little startled.

"Hey, you okay? I'm sorry", he uttered an apology.

"Oh, no it's okay", she said with a sweet smile, then added "Glad to see that you came." She was now climbing the stairs, with Peter just close behind.

"Yeah, well I told you so", he said.

"Great", it was her only response, but her heart fluttered with joy. Finally she settled on a seat in the middle of the bus. Peter was just looking about for a seat as most of them seemed to be already caught by others. Out of his peripheral vision he saw MJ, Sam, Danny, Harry, Luke hopping aboard followed by Teresa, Rae and Taylor, Liz's best friends.

 _Alright, so they all are here. But where's…damn it where is Ava?_

He looked around frantically but there was no trace of Ava. As if she could sense his tension, Liz turned her attention to him and asked with concern, "Hey, are you looking for someone?"

Her voice came out so soft. He looked at her and gave her a small nod before speaking, "Yes, Have you seen Ava?"

The words struck her hard. _Why was he so concerned over her not coming?_ She thought but immediately regretted it. She brought a small fake smile on her face, "I'm afraid not." It was obviously too painful for her.

By the time everyone had settled in their seats. His friends gave him nods before moving over. They all sat on adjacent seats, even Flash was with them. They were all there, his little perfect group. Talking and laughing. But yet something, _someone_ seemed to be missing, which was just plain gloomy above everything. He sighed heavily and realized that there was no seat vacant, except for the one near Liz.

He turned towards her and pointed at the seat in a questioning tone. She nodded silently, "Please, be my guest."

"Thanks", he said before plopping down next to her. Liz's friends were just behind them, and he could practically hear them giggling. He just ignored them, his eyes all glued towards the entrance, still hoping that she would show up. But the hope quickly drained out as the sound of the engine starting reached up his ears. He sighed heavily and leaned back in his seat. Liz hated to see him like this. She thought she should say something.

"Hey, don't worry. I really think that she'd come", she said sweetly.

"Hope you're right", he smiled nervously, their vibrant orbs locked into each other's.

That's when a voice pierced through the air that startled their moment, and Peter didn't have to think twice before he knew that the voice belonged to Ava. And he also realized that their bus was in a motion now.

"HEY! STOP THE BUS! SOMEONE, PLEASE!" she yelled as she ran as fast as her legs could take her.

A sudden spark lit inside Peter's eyes as he quickly shot up from his seat and rushed towards the coach driver to halt the bus. Liz just watched him, astonished.

"Hey, hey please stop the bus. One of my friend is back there, please", he just shouted into the driver's ears.

"Boy, you juniors are such a mess", the driver, who appeared to be in his late-forties, grumbled. He resisted at first but then agreed unwillingly.

The bus came to a halt, and Ava's face brightened. She swiftly approached to the door, ready to thank whoever had done the kind job, but her face fell as she was met with Peter's happy blue eyes. Her expression rather turned into an annoyed one. She quietly ascended the bus without even giving him a second look. She had seen that locket that Peter wore, but she seemed to not care about it.

"AVA! Where were you, girl? I'd been looking for you." MJ had just said what raced through his mind.

"Sorry, I just had to…figure somethings out", she said and walked further down the aisle to sit next to her best friend. Peter had a confused look on his face. He had expected a 'Thank You' or something but nothing. She was just acting as if he didn't exist at all. And that just made him sadder, which got Liz worried.

"So if your little mating session is over, can we move on?" asked the driver in a husky voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go", he said as he made his way towards his own seat.

When he was settled, Liz eyed him with pure concern. She reached out and kept a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked.

He shuddered at her touch but then relaxed and replied with a nod.

"If you're okay with it, I just wanted you to know that you can share it with me", she smiled and then turned towards the window.

He did not say anything until a few minutes passed. Liz didn't complained, neither pushed it. But then suddenly words came to his lips before he could stop them.

"You know sometimes when someone means so much to you, and you just do one thing that screws up everything", he said facing her with blank expression.

He looked so helpless. She felt so sorry for him.

"Is this about Ava?" It wasn't a question, but an assumption.

He nodded, turned around to find her face which was still unreadable. He shook his head and turned towards Liz who just smiled in return.

"I really don't know her that well, but I can tell you one thing she is not the most open person in the world. But she does seem loosened up when around you." She forced another genuine look on her face.

"You think so?" surprised, he asked.

"Are you kidding me? Everyone knows that. Besides trust me, I don't think she'll be able to hold her grudge for long. After all its Peter Parker that we're talking about here", she tried to lighten the tension.

"I don't know, Liz. I just want her to know that it was all a mistake." He replied sadly.

She was struck as to how much it mattered to him. Also he had just called her 'Liz', which made her feel like she'd been just accepted into his space. And she also knew that her attempt at joke was failed.

"I think she knows that, Peter. Maybe, she's just disturbed because of some other reason. And she might be blowing it up on you because you're the only one she feels the closest to. Flash did this very much often." she said, slight nostalgically.

There were many things that Peter needed to process on. How did she knew so much about this kinda stuff? And what about Flash? How did she…? And he suddenly remembered her crush on him. But that really didn't falter the conversation they were having right now.

"And before you ask, yeah I and Flash were dating for a couple of years." She said quietly.

"Wow, really? I just wouldn't have imagined you with that ex-jerk a few months ago, no offence", he actually found a smirk colliding his lips.

"None taken. Well that was something which led to our break up. I really hated how he just used to pick on guys…like you."

He just chuckled in return. She joined in with him and Peter was feeling much better. After a while, his smile fell from his face and returned to its normal expression. His mind turned back to Ava as he wondered what she was hiding from him. And if Liz was right, then he surely had to do some research. Liz surely had made him comfortable, but still that didn't stop him from worrying about her. Was it the tiger side again? He better hoped not. He just wanted to get her alone and speak to her. As soon as he could.

"Don't worry. She'll be alright", she smiled so sweet that all the doubts he had for the moment were washed away.

"Thanks Liz. That really means a lot. And with your words, I know just what to say to her", he squeezed her hand and then let go. His eyes were sparkling like she had never seen them. She got so lost in them that she didn't even noticed that he had grabbed her hand.

At that moment her mind became just as clear as the sky outside. All thoughts of jealousy and anger were quickly vanished as she looked at him amusingly. It was confirmed to her that he just cared about Ava, in more of a platonic manner. He wanted to clear he misconceptions and even know about her doubts, and Liz was whole heartedly ready to help him out. Maybe, just maybe that could be the start of something that she won't regret.

As she turned her attention to the surroundings outside, she smiled contently. That was when she realized that they had reached their destination. The beautiful palm trees stuck up all over the place, which gave it a pleasing look. Then at the distance she could see the widespread crystalline blue ocean, very similar to the orbs of the pretty boy beside her.

 _Just as Beautiful…_

Peter thought as he continued to stare at the nature outside, a quick peek of a certain dark empath crossed through his mind yet again. He smiled and allowed himself to gawk of the beauty of their host town for next five days.

 **10K+ words in 4 chappies, quite a feat, eh! So I finally updated. I really enjoyed writing this one, especially Liz. I really didn't wanted to show that cliché 'two girls crashing for a guy' stuff. Rather him to be close to both of them. Anyway you'll see that for yourself.**

 **So as for the people who reviewed the last chapter:**

 **Death Fury: Aww, Thank you so much.**

 **Man285: As always, I'm really glad that you liked my work. Thanks for your continued support.**

 **Guest: Really? That's the best compliment I had ever had. And I don't know if it was funny or not but if you say so!**

 **The Story's Shadow: Hey, I just speak the truth, like it or not. I just said what I genuinely feel about you. And you're a pretty great writer. Anyway, yeah Liz is a really sweet character. I mean she did see Peter in a different light, but then learnt how to appreciate him in a whole new way. That's why I actually chose her for my story in the first place.**

 **csgt: Thanks and let me guess, you found out my story from the review that I left on your Bwen right? Well never really thought about it but yeah Gwen T. does seem like a combo of MJ, Gwen S. and Black Cat. Yeah, well they had chemistry but too bad the writers didn't notice it. I was out of my head when she was pushed off suddenly like that. And what can I say, I'm really flattered by what you think about me. But that's really sweet of you,** _ **hermano**_ **!**


	5. Harboring Feelings

**Hòla amigos! Okay its been an eternity since I last updated, and I could only be sorry for so many times. But hey, I'm back with a new chappie for y'all. I really love when things get a little complicated, even if it is just in the fiction! That exactly what's going on with our threesome here.**

 **So just as a synopsis of this chapter, I'm gonna be showing more of spiger side of the triangle, as that's my primary ship. More of tiger's personal conflicts over here. I seriously love her. We're really getting into the story now! Okay enough of yapping I guess, let's get you into the story.**

 **As always, ZWENJOY!**

 **Chapter 5: 'Harboring' Feelings**

CapeMay wassomething out of heaven **.** It was like an alternate place to paradise. Like Nature had done all of its great work in this place alone. The palm trees swayed to the breeze which blew slowly. Hidden under their sweet caress were small houses and inns. Their roofs sloping. There were many gardens just round the corner of each house. Daises, Roses, Dahlias, Freesias, Orchids and countless more petaled beauties stood there, in all their glory. The people walking alongside the street seemed calm and relaxed, very contrast to the ever rushing New-Yorkers. They waved and smiled at each other, just like the mighty ocean they hosted.

Ah, how can we forget it? A part of the Atlantic, cerulean and crystal clear, clashed with the seemingly soft and golden sand of the beach. It was almost sunset, so everything around the beach seemed to glow in a vermillion light. The ocean was like an empire in itself, with its streams flowing down the joyous town. As their buses travelled on a bridge over one of the streams, the Midtown High juniors couldn't help but gawk at the incredible scene outside. There was a feeling of excitement surging through the crowd. Adrenaline pumped throughout their bodies as everyone cheered. Even Peter was feeling exhilarated with all the activity going on, all smiles on his face.

But there was a person to whom the bustling nature didn't faze in the least. She was just lost in her own trance, even a bit of frustration in her eyes. Ava.

Come on, Ava. I thought we were friends. Are you okay? What happened?" MJ asked in a concerned voice. She'd been trying to lighten up Ava's mood ever since they first started from the school, but no success to any extent.

Ava had been silent for the entire 3 hours of the journey. She didn't even tell what was bothering her. She just wanted to be left alone. And her so-called friends could even do that for her.

"Nothing, I…I'm fine", she answered curtly, trying to keep her voice low.

"No, you're not! You've been acting weird since your dilemma with Peter the other day. What's the bugging deal about?" Sam chimed in, his voice laced with a little anger.

Sam's voice was a little too loud. Peter, who'd been absorbed in a conversation with Liz, quickly came to senses and spun in the direction of his name call. Once again his eyes landed on Ava, and concern flooded his self again.

Ava had been ever trying to keep her composure, but it was just out of her control now. She looked up at them sharply, clenched her fists and yelled; which almost sounded like a growl of a pissed off tiger, "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! CAN'T Y'ALL UNDERSTAND?"

The intensity of her voice shook the entire bus, and the chatter was immediately reduced to an absolute, eerie silence. All eyes were glued on her. Some even gave her looks as if she were an alien. She sighed and muttered, " I'm…really…sorry" and quickly turned away, couldn't bear what she'd just said. She wished that she could disappear, away from here.

Peter's eyes went wide with shock. The students were whispering something furiously among themselves, he couldn't make out what but he did hear some words like 'insane', 'bored', 'Latina'. But Peter didn't care what they thought, if anything, he just felt something powerful punch his gut when his eyes found hers, which were surprisingly full of sorrow. He couldn't bear the look on her face, he'd never seen her so…upset. Yes, she was really sad about something. He knew that much after 2 years of being with her. If only he could talk to her about it, because he felt an indescribable urge to do it.

"Hey", Liz's warm voice called out.

"Yeah?", Peter turned and looked up at her, his eyes reflecting the pain almost similar to Ava, which hurt Liz to the core.

"Ava's your best friend, right?", she asked knowingly. As if it were an assumption.

The question was so out-of-the-blue that Peter didn't know how to answer it. In that moment, he remembered all the time they'd spent together, as superheroes and friends. They were close and he'd told her some of his very personal things, which he'd not disclosed to anyone. Not even MJ or Harry.

"Yes", he spluttered without even thinking about it. But there was no thinking required. It was the truth.

She smiled, "Then go talk to her, trust me she'll tell you everything".

"You think?", he felt hope rising in his voice.

"I know." She nodded.

 **LINEBREAK**

The buses stood in the frontiers of a large mansion-like resort. The structure was carved up with deities, like the medieval times, most of them of Greek and Roman origin. The huge entrance gate had mannequins on both of its sides and opened to a wide walkway that led finally to the resort. There were peach and palm trees on both the sides of the walkway and it was fenced with an encored wall. And then, at the backyards of the huge structure was the ferocious ocean, spread across the miles.

Students eagerly descended from their respective buses and gathered downstairs. Peter was just after Liz, walking briskly but he took a quick peek over to Ava to make sure that she was following everybody. She was, and he was thankful for that. Once all the students gathered in front of the entrance, the buses went away and a wave of excitement passed through the crowd again. That's when Peter caught the glimpse of a gigantic board which was placed over the right wall of the resort. Something was written there in big, bold letters.

 **Sapphire Harbor**

 _ **Harboring memories since 1985**_

Peter actually smiled after reading the tagline. As if a tinge of his older self had returned in himself.

 _What kind of memories are made at a beach-side resort?_

He thought and quickly shook his head at the nastiness of it. That when one of the teachers called out his name.

"Peter Parker, can you please show up at the front?", it was Mrs. Tennyson.

Peter was confused by the suddenness of it. Liz was by his side and she nudged him to go. All of the students in front of him looked back and made a way for him to walk. He flushed as he walked through, with students left and right watching him with curiosity. Finally, when he made his way where the teacher stood, he saw a broad-chested man standing over there. He had pale skin and a small scar across his neck, showing a decade old injury. He was wearing a tuxedo and his blonde hair were brushed at the right of his head. The man smiled when his green eyes fell upon Peter. By his features and gesture, he seemed to be in his late-thirties. Peter returned the smile, he was already liking this man.

The man immediately motioned forward towards Peter and shook his hand, "Well, its my honor to see you here in flesh, Mr. Spiderma…oh excuse me, I mean Mr. Parker. I'm Frank Murphy, nice to meet you" He then pulled away and whispered something to the man standing beside him, to which he walked away swiftly.

"Mr. Murphy is the owner of the resort that you're seeing in front of your eyes. He has given allowance for our school juniors to stay for free as his daughter is a big fan of Spiderman. It's really generous of him, so let's have a round of applause for him", Mrs. Tennyson said enthusiastically as she clapped herself, followed by all of the students, accompanied with cheers and catcalls.

For some reason, instead of feeling proud, he felt a pang of insult churning on inside. Like his name was being used, like a corrupt politician being given a special treatment because of his power. He knew it was nothing but still something, somewhere it felt wrong.

 _Maybe this is what happens when you're bitten by a radioactive spider…_

He rolled his eyes to himself. Frank smiled and spoke in a firm and obliging voice, "Thank you but I'm not the one who deserves such respect. It Spidey here that stays up all night for our protection", he gestured towards Peter to which he just smiled weirdly. The cheers doubled, with a couple of 'yeahs' here and there. Then Frank adjusted his tie before speaking, "Peter, I have a request to make to you."

"Sure", he said casually.

"My daughter's a big fan of you, she'll be really happy if you once meet her. Actually she found out about your school and suggested all of this stuff." His eyes were smiling.

"Of course, I'd love to", There was no way that Peter could refuse, but he just hoped that this girl was a kid. He didn't knew how to handle his teenage fan girls.

"Great, Macy, darling I got a surprise for you!", He said in fatherly affection.

That's when he saw a petite figure coming towards them. He couldn't clearly see her, but he was relieved that she was a little girl, about 7 or 8. She wore dark wash jeans underneath a black tee that read ' _ **I LOVE SPIDERMAN'**_. As she came closer, her pixie cut strawberry blonde hair shone bright and her hazel eyes were full of happiness. As soon as she saw Peter, she broke into a run and didn't stop until she was right in front of Peter. He waved and gave her a small smile.

"Oh My God, Daddy its really him! I can't believe it!" She squeaked as she threw her hands over her mouth. Her daddy just chuckled.

Peter kneeled down and reached her height, "Well, then shall I pinch you then?" He chuckled then.

She looked at her daddy, to which he nodded and she moved closer to him, "You're even more cute than they show you in those pictures." She stared at him as if he were Jesus.

Liz just shook her head and smirked. _Even a 7 year old knows that!_

"Aww, Thank you little princess, or shall I say Spideress?", he smiled which she returned. Then he thought of an idea. He continued, "Hey, Macy can you help me out?"

"Of course, Spidey." She said, excitedly.

"Actually one of my friend is really pissed off at me. She means a lot and she just won't listen to me. Maybe she'd listen to you", he smiled and stood up. His eyes found Ava and fixed on her. His friends already knew who he was talking about. Even Liz.

"Why wouldn't someone not talk to you Spidey? Please whoever you are over there, Spidey really cares about you. You better start talking to him, or else you'll face the Macy storm, which is not exactly a pleasant experience", As soon as she got those words out, the crowd busted into a cloud of laughter, but there wasn't even the slightest of curves on Ava's face. Rather her expression just deadpanned as if she hadn't heard anything.

Frank smiled and ruffled her hair, "I pretty sure she won't hold her grudge for long now that Macy has warned her. But anyway, I know y'all are tired, get some rest. Tomorrow you can visit the town", he said and gestured everyone to follow him inside.

Peter almost face palmed himself but stopped when he saw that Macy was looking at him amusingly, holding his hand. Was Ava even more mad at him? Was she even mad? Or just upset? He didn't knew, which confused him more. He tried keeping it out of his mind but it just boomeranged on him again and again. He had to get her alone and talking or he'd slowly just go insane.

 **LINEBREAK**

Dinner was served to everyone. Pasta and Salad, two of Peter's favorites. But he couldn't just bring himself to eat anything. His mind kept turning to Ava. He never knew that he'd ever grow so close to her that it would bother him so much. Something was definitely up with her. She wasn't even in the dining hall, which doubled his suspicion.

After the dinner, he saw MJ near her room with Rae and Teresa. Actually they all had been given rooms according to their roll numbers, 3 students per room. Peter was with Harry and Luke. He didn't knew Ava's room number, so he decided to ask MJ about it.

"Hey, MJ." He said walking towards her.

"Hey Pete, what's up?" She asked, waving.

 _You know what's up, MJ…_

"Uh…nothing much. How are things between you and Sam? That whacko gave you any trouble?", He asked, trying to sound casual, not knowing any other way to start the conversation.

"We're good, but you guys are not. Come on, Peter I know you wanna talk about Ava. Its all over your face." She said in a knowing voice.

Peter sighed. MJ knew him since they was like 3 or something and a soon to be journalist, how could he possibly hide anything from her?

"I didn't see her during dinner, nor in the hallway somewhere. Do you know where is she?"

MJ shrugged, "No, she just disappeared after we got in here. Maybe she has gone outside, I don't know. Don't worry, Pete. She'll be alright."

"Yeah, okay." He turned and started walking towards his room with heavy footsteps. He room was the nearest to the ocean side and moonlight lit the water like pearls. But that didn't allure him. Nonetheless, he took a peek downside and saw someone standing there, which made him jump.

Near the edge of the ocean, where the land met the water, stood a figure. Her black hair swaying with the wind, eyes staring straight ahead. And Peter didn't need to see twice who it was. Ava.

He didn't know if he could wait enough to run down towards her, so he preferred a faster option. He put on his web shooters and jumped through the window of his room. He took a few swings and landed just behind the rock, where Ava stood facing her back. He had an urge to immediately run to her and make sure she was okay. But before he could make a move, a voice echoed through the air.

"Get out of here. I know you are there. Please." She didn't yell it but there was something else in it. Her voice was so soft he could barely hear her. And it cracked, as if she could broke down any second.

His conscience told him to do as she said. To leave her alone but no, he just couldn't. So he just ignored her and walked slowly towards her.

"Ava, please don't do this to me. What's wrong? I really need to know." He said with pleading evident in his voice.

"Nothing is wrong, Pete. Please, this is hard enough for me. Don't make it worse." She said as she came over and stood right beside her.

"We really need to talk, Ava. Remember how I told you about my Uncle Ben? It was because I trusted you with all my heart. And you understood me, comforted me. So let me do that today. Please Ava, I can't stand this tension between us." He looked over to her, only to find her gaze focused on the ground.

"You…you don't understand…", she said, with pain lacing every bit of her voice.

"Then, make me. I just want to help you, Ava" He smiled, even though she wasn't looking at him.

After a full minute, she looked up at him. They exchanged a long look and Ava found her walls melting. Tears slowly started flooding her eyes as she tried her best to keep them in.

"You wouldn't like the end of it…", she trailed off, looking even more sad.

Seeing her like this, Peter felt as if a knife had just been pierced into his heart, and he still didn't know why. But he replied in a comforting voice, "So be it, but I'm willing to listen."

She looked up at him and for the first time in a couple of days, a slight hint of smile crossed her face. She kept staring in his cerulean eyes in which he saw concern, trust and sincerity.

After moments of silence, she said to him, "Okay…"

 **So? How do you think was this? I don't really know about Tiger's official back story but I'm gonna put one made by me in the next chapter, hope y'all don't mind. Also this chapter kinda shows the very first slight traces of Spidey's more than platonic feelings for Ava. There will be more developments as the story progresses. Anyway, let's not reveal too much. As always, all of the awesome people who reviewed last chapter:**

 **Man285: Thanks, bud!**

 **The Story's Shadow: Yeah I agree that no character is simple. Well, teenagers are know for their extreme emotions so yeah, thank you.**

 **Csgt: Yeah, I didn't want to do that clichéd cat fight, but the intensive complicity of emotions.**


	6. Bruised Memories

_**Ciao**_ **people! How have y'all been? So yeah I'm back with the 6** **th** **chapter for y'all! And by the way if it makes any difference for you, I just turned fourteen on 11** **th** **, Yay! So anyway, besides the birthday bumps, something else has got me excited. The story plot of course. So here's what it is.**

 **So the last chapter was a bit sappy, I admit. The thing is that Ava has a secret, but what that is? Nobody knows. But can Peter make her share it with him? Will it blossom into something more than friendship between them? Read to find out! ;)**

 **ZWENJOY!**

 **Chapter 6: Bruised Memories**

The slight, hushing blue water skimmed along the beach as it gently washed over the soft sand. There were no clouds in the sky, so a big glob of intense-white color emerged from the darkness. The Moon. As the mists dispersed, the pure white radiance spread throughout the night sky, marking the arrival of the great emperor of the dark. The water below sparkled the twinkling reflection of the stars, as if paying tribute to the moon as it continued to beam it's brightness through the atmosphere

The moon just settled at the horizon, touching the brim of the ocean in a far-away distance. It was a full-moon night, so the glob appeared larger than ever, a seemingly peaceful look on its face. The moonlight lit all the features on the Earth, everything glowed in an undescribed warmth. Just the right night for…

Peter had no interest in the magnificence of Earth's natural satellite, all he cared about was making the miserable girl beside him to open up. But he was looking at the random stones beneath his feet, not wanting to meet her eyes just yet. She looked surprisingly vulnerable. Both of them sat on a flat-bed rock near the shore, next to each other. She had pulled up her legs and wrapped both the arms around them, drawing her knees closer to her chest. She looked up at the beautiful sky with a blank expression, a fading grim in her chocolate orbs.

Finally, Peter lifted his gaze from the stones to his troubled friend, who was still staring into oblivion. Her hair moved slowly with the song of the wind, rhythmically. The moonlight lit up her cocoa complexion, as it sparkled through her dark eyes. Strangely enough, Peter was unreasonably comfortable sitting with her, alone. Although she was in a distressed state of mind, extremely depressed and about to tell him the biggest secret of her life, he had longed to talk to her again. He had missed her…

"A stunning night, huh?" Ava's voice echoed through the silent atmosphere, startling Peter out of his thoughts. She spoke so out of the blue that it almost sounded as if the voice had been the call from nowhere.

But it was her voice, as she looked up from her hunched position. Peter recovered, flashed a genuine smile before answering, _"I suppose, but it has got no competition up on_ _ **you**_ _."_ He tried to make it sound sarcastic, just to make her feel better. But deep down, he knew for sure that it was true.

She looked confused but then she let out a soft, low chuckle. Peter joined in with her, all smiles. She continued for some moments then she grew silent again and looked into his cerulean eyes. A wave of sadness crept over eyes as she broke into a nervous smile.

"That's exactly what my father said." And then she was again staring into her stupor.

Peter steadied. He studied her face, but it was unreadable. As much he wanted to know about it, he didn't want to push too hard. So he just waited patiently until she was ready.

So after a few moments, Ava gained her composure and smiled indefinitely. It wasn't a smile, just a twist of the lips to hide her pain.

"I don't think I can do this, Pete…" She said, her voice more fragile than he'd ever heard it.

He knew he had to take it slowly. Ava was a secretive girl and it was wholly her decision whether she should share her secrets or not. Peter didn't argue that, but he also knew one more thing. Whatever this thing was, it was weakening her, slowly churning her level-headed mind. And Peter couldn't let that happen. He cared about her, deeply and just wanted to make her sure that he was there for her.

So he began slowly, choosing each word with care, "Ava, I know there are somethings that are best kept hidden. You don't wanna disclose it to the world. But believe me, that thing eats you up inside. Makes you weak, and you succumb to your fears. You know that's what happened to me."

She nodded gradually, taking in every word he said whilst never getting her eyes off him.

He moved a little closer to her and continued, "You know, when Uncle Ben died… I was broken. Shattered inside out. I spent every day cursing myself, crying in the corners, mourning over him. He had died because of me, I hided that secret from Aunt May for six months. I was scared, Ava. But then I couldn't live with that guilt surging through me every single second. My head started going crazy. That's when I gathered courage and told her everything. I thought she'd abandon me after what I'd did, but she didn't. And I learnt one thing then, the people who love you will always be by your back, no matter how shitty the world gets. They always accept you with your secrets. You just have to trust them to know your belongings. It makes you feel much better. Like I did, I moved on and started a new life."

Ava gasped. "Pete…I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I…"

But he cut her off, "Hey, it's okay. I just…don't want you to go through what I've been. If you keep it in there, you're just gonna grieve and regret things. I don't want that for you Ava, I can't see you like this… I trusted you with my secret, Ava…Can you trust yours with me?"

She staggered. She held his gaze, his eyes which were lit with fire. So many emotions rushing through them. Pain, anger, desperation, worry, plead…she found her walls crumbling. Everything he said was the complete truth, saying any less would be insulting. She had never thought Peter would be so serious about something. Especially when it was about her.

Peter was the closest to a best friend Ava ever had since childhood. She had always been on her own. So when Peter came around, she was more than happy, though she never showed it. Of course, she was annoyed when he went off the track, but then he'd be the only one to cheer her up. She didn't knew how time flew away quickly and Peter grew up so fast. The seriousness, the imploring was evident on his face. That's when a voice spoke up inside her mind.

 _Tell him, Ava. If he couldn't understand then no one else will. He's your best friend…_

She took a deep breath and loosed her position to bring her legs to the ground. She stared at the full moon and began in a slight shaky voice, "When I was just a little girl of age 9…

 _Rincon, Puerto Rico._

 _It was a quiet, peaceful day in the wonderful city of Rincon. People in Hawaiian shirts were moving about the small streets. At the end of one turn stood a small house belonging to the Ayala family. Hector, Maria, Filippo and Ava were the residents of the small household._

 _They were a loving and happy family who worked all day and spent the night with each other. Everything was normal, except for the fact that the father, Hector had a secret alias 'White Tiger' which was a secret only shared with his daughter, Ava._

 _That evening when Hector came home from work, his wife Maria welcomed him with a long kiss. Filippo, Ava's older brother just rolled his eyes as the couple continued to make out. Even though it had been almost an eternity since they had been wed, their love for each other had not changed a nail in the 15 years of their married life. They pulled away finally when they heard a loud squeal of a child through the hallway._

" _DADDY!" A small girl with rich-brown eyes and pulled up black hair came storming towards Hector. His lips parted into a huge smile as he lifted the girl off her feet and into his arms. She cheered and wrapped her hands around her daddy's neck as she kissed his cheek._

" _There's my little girl! I've got a surprise for you", he said before kissing her on the forehead and putting her to her feet. He then reached down into his workbag and pulled out something which he immediately hid behind him._

 _Ava excitedly clasped her hands together, "What is it, Daddy?"_

" _As I said, it's a surprise. Now first close your eyes. Seal 'em shut, okay?" He said in fatherly affection._

 _She followed his command and closed her eyes, her face never hiding the exhilaration. Her father pulled out his hand from backside and revealed a beautifully dressed doll in his hand. When she opened her eyes, she yelped with joy._

" _Aww, thank you Daddy. She's so pretty", Ava said as she hugged the doll dearly._

" _Maybe, but it's got no competition up on_ _ **you**_ _", He said as she continued to hug the doll, with happiness sparkling in her eyes._

"I was so dumb and naïve back then. But you know, I was always Daddy's little girl. We had some good times back then", She said sadly as tears gathered in her eyes.

Peter sensed this and moved even closer to her, sitting so nigh that their knees and shoulders brushed against each other. Ava didn't move, didn't jerk either. So he placed his hand upon hers. She looked at him instinctively, but she didn't remove her hand from his grasp. He nodded slowly as she closed her eyes and spoke up after a full minute, "So that night we planned to go out to a restaurant…"

 _The sun had fallen behind the horizon, and the first of the stars appeared in the sky as a family walked towards an Italian restaurant on the other side of the road._

" _Honey, thank you for this treat" Maria said as she held onto her husband's arm._

" _Yeah, Thnx Dad. It's quite a surprise." Filippo quipped in as he smiled widely._

 _Ava just nodded and smiled and jumped all the way into the restaurant. Once they were inside, they found themselves a family table and sat down. A server had their orders and they started chatting as they waited for it._

"… _yeah, Andre fell off for the 7_ _th_ _time that day. I was doubling over with laughter…" Filippo hooted so hard that he almost choked._

 _That's when a loud explosion ringed from the far end of the street and send chaos flooding all over the diner. Inside and out on the road, there were hordes of people running and screaming in every direction. Hector sniffed the air and muttered under his breath._

 _ **Kraven…**_

 _He turned towards Filippo, "Okay, you gotta be the big man today, Fil. Take care of your mother and sister. Get them somewhere safe."_

 _Filippo gave him an affirmative nod and grabbed Maria and Ava by their arms and pulled them towards the exit, disappearing into the crowd. Ava kept shouting her daddy's name but Filippo's grip was firm. Her voice faded into the roaring confusion._

…

 _After a while, they were running through an empty street when Ava pulled her hand from her brother's grip and started looking around frantically._

" _What are you doing, Ava? We need to go!" Filippo ordered._

" _I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITHOUT DADDY!" She practically screamed._

" _HE SAID THAT…" He was cut off when a dagger emerged from nowhere, aiming straight for Filippo's heart, and cutting swiftly as it finally found its home. Filippo's chest. He gasped, wailed in pain and took off his feet and was about to land hard on the ground below but Maria caught him as tears freed from her eyes, falling upon his face._

" _NO! FILIPPO!" she screamed as she held her son's body close to her chest._

 _Ava's legs weakened. She fell upon the ground, staring in horror as life itself slowly drained out of her brother's body. Her head spiraled, heart ached. Her brother was dead. Her companion was dead. And she couldn't perceive that. No…_

 _That's when a body came flying through the air and thrashed hard into the road. The body had a white-black tiger resembling suit. Ava's eyes lit up with recognition._

" _DADDY!" Ava screamed as she scrambled to her feet and drop next to her dad, lifting his body. The portion of the suit near the stomach was stained with bright red smear. A gaping stab wound stood out in the middle. She carefully removed his mask from his face. When he saw her face, he smiled wearily._

" _Hey, princess…" He said in an exhausting voice as he grabbed her hand and held it tightly._

" _Ouch, poor baby. Don't worry, Uncle Kraven is not gonna kill you", A deep, cruel voice of a man with Russian accent come through the shadows, followed by his muscular body and ruthless stare with another dagger in his hand._

" _I've got some other plans for you…" He said as he grinned evilly._

 _Hector gave him a death glare, "Don't dare you touch her…"_

 _Kraven ignored him and made his way towards Ava, whilst laughing like a maniac. That's when her mother stepped in front of them both. Tears soaked up her face._

" _Please…she's just a little girl. Please, leave her. You…can have me, but please let her go. I beg you…" her mother clenched her fists as she said those word._

 _Hector, unable to say anything closed his eyes shut, sick of everything and too weak to fight it. Kraven eyed Maria upside down and brought an evil smirk on his face._

" _You'd be better than the little bitch anytime. And yes, I'm gonna borrow your wife now, don't mind that, Hector", he said as he mercilessly pulled her with him behind the covers of a fence._

" _MOM!" Ava yelled as she heard Maria's heart-wrenching shouts as Kraven began ripping her sexuality._

" _Ava…" he father managed to say as she looked down at him with tears flowing down her face._

" _Here, a gift from me", he said as he pulled the tiger amulet from his waist and handed it to Ava and closed her fist around it._

" _I want you to promise me something", Hector said with cracking in his voice, but firmly._

 _Ava nodded, bot able to speak as the sobbing clogged her voice._

" _I want you to protect this amulet for me, no matter the cost. You'll do that for your daddy?"_

" _Yes…" she tightened her grip on it as she vowed to herself to revenge Kraven for whatever he'd done._

" _That's my girl. You're so beautiful…" he said as his breath finally hitched and came to a halt. His grip on her hand loosened as Ava wailed at the top of her lungs. She couldn't cry or fight, all of her senses went numb. She was just sitting there, with her dead daddy in her arms, everything around her collapsing into oblivion…_

"…that all happened in one night, Peter. I was devastated…I tried…" Ava struggled to speak as silent tears sailed down her beautiful face.

Peter staggered as his grip on her hand tightened. He couldn't bear what she'd just said. Something which was so terrible, ruthless and heart-breaking. This was why she hated Kraven with such ferocious intensity. He could've never imagined she carried such dreadful secret all this time. He looked over to Ava, who was staring back at him, her eyes red and puffy. He couldn't bring himself to say anything, he was just so anxious that his lips quivered. So instead she spoke with a haunted, defeated voice.

"Those few weeks were a nightmare to me, Peter. The house, the walls, all those picture frame seemed to eat me alive. I couldn't sleep for nights. I almost wished I had been killed that night…" She broke into a hysteric sob, burying her head into her palms.

Peter acted almost instantly, he put his arms around her and pulled her closer to him, snuggling his head upon hers rubbing her sides in order to comfort her.

"Shhh….it's okay. It's okay. I'm here for you Ava. We're gonna make it through this." He said in an uplifting voice.

She continued to sob into his chest, her shoulders heaving up and down continuously as his arms tightened around her. Peter didn't complain as her sobbing slowly lessened. He held her and he was going to be there for her, no matter what. He was the one she'd shared her most treacherous secret with and he wanted to prove to her that it was worth it. After an eternity, Ava stopped sobbing as she slowly pulled away from him, looking at him with deep sincerity while his eyes glowed with respect for his comrade.

He slowly reached up and wiped the tears off her face with his long fingers and smiled, "Now that it's off your chest, are you feeling better?"

She nodded and returned his smile, "Thanks for listening Peter."

He pulled his hand away and his face turned serious again, "What did you do after that?"

She sighed and answered, "My uncle took me to Brooklyn and I was trained there by him. The amulet took a lot to keep it in the control, so I couldn't let my emotions from running high. I became cold and distant, never really talking to anyone. After a couple of years, I met three idiots who were just as broke as me, so we teamed up. That and then I met you…and I'm glad that I did." She smiled and nudged his arm slightly.

He smirked, "Well, that's definitely a first." She giggled at that and he followed. After some time their laughter died out and a comfortable silence filled the air, until Ava spoke up.

"I'm really feeling better now, knowing that there is someone I can share things with. Thank you for being there for me. Today's the day it all happened, 7 years ago. I was just so disturbed this whole week. Then you pulled that prank and it ticked me off. I blew upon you. I'm really sorry, Pete."

"Hey you don't have a singke reason to apologise. I'm just glad to have you back. Thank you for trusting me. And I'm really proud of you. I'll be there whenever you need to talk, okay?" he said.

She nodded, then saw the sleep evident in his eyes, "I wore you out. Come on, I think you could use some sleep."

"Are you saying that I'm a sleepyhead?" He said, pouting like a little child.

She just rolled her eyes, took his hand and pulled him up with her, "No, I'm not." She laughed and started walking towards the hotel, with her hand still holding onto his.

They walked side by side, unaware of their intertwined hands as they talked and chuckled. But a pair of eyes watched the two from a gallery of one of the hotel's room with tears glistening in her emerald eyes.

 _Liz…_

 **Whew, so that sums up the sixth chapter. I'm not really good at writing this angsty stuff but I tried hard. Hope it turned out to all the numbers. Let me know what you think in your reviews. Also, my school's just started so I won't be able to keep up with the regular updates. Until then!**

 **Spawn Hades: Pretty good guesses actually. But as I mentioned earlier that the team does not work for SHIELD. Also don't you think it's a little for early for confessions? XD**

 **Guest: Thnx. It indeed is Ear-twerking!**

 **Guest: Of course, I gonna complete this story. Oooh so you think I'm a genius with work, that sure is flattering!**

 **Man285: Thnx, it really means a lot coming from you. Also you could say '** **კარგი** **სამუშაო** **დას** ' **(which is Good Job, sister I suppose!)**

 **The Story's Shadow: LOL, I actually thought that it was a little darker. Anyway, yeah Macy is a total sweetheart. Guess you'll be seeing more of her in the following chapters.**

 **GuestinyourStory: Well, it's gotten better, I can tell you that!**


	7. White Lies

_**Salve people!**_ **So…the seventh chapter is up. Yay! For the first time ever I don't really have anything to say in the author's note. So that's a good thing, I guess!**

 **So Peter and Ava have started growing closer to each other, more than ever. But, then what will happen of a certain blonde? And there's new feminine shadow in the picture. But certainly not an ally. Is everything what it really seems?**

 **SAUCOY!**

 **Chapter 7: White Lies**

The sound of laughter filled the silent night sky as Peter and Ava made their way towards the resort. Their previously locked hands had been loosened up as they'd been absorbed in a conversation. But they really didn't realize holding hands or letting go, which was a partly good thing.

The dark was starting to fall deeper as the night progressed slowly towards midnight. Most of the students were sleeping in their rooms, but there were still lights on in some of them. Some were probably reading and having a movie marathon, while others had **'different activities'** going on. Yet, nothing stirred the serene stillness of the night. Everything was calm as hushes of the small waves crashed against the beach.

Peter and Ava had reached the back entrance of the resort as they had decided to sneak inside from the rear so as to avoid unnecessary misconceptions. Yep, High School was much horrifying for Peter than your average troublemakers. So whilst entering the hallway, Peter was telling her about the time Nightmare had taken over and he'd had a glimpse of biggest dreads of each of his team mates. Then, they were talking about what the other was scared of the most. Naturally, the conversation first turned towards Sam.

"…Sam's like exorcist level terrified of rabbits", Peter declared stifling through a laugh.

"What? For real? You've got to be kidding me!" she could barely get those words out because she was having a hard time suppressing her giggle.

He was happy to see her smiling. And more so because he was the cause of it. Although partial credit went to Sam for being…well himself.

"Seriously. And Luke has this absurd fear that he'd not be able to save us all and fail our trust." He added in a quieter tone.

She shaked her head, "He'd never fail us and I could never question his capabilities. He's like the glue that keeps the team together, else Sam and I could've killed each other a long time ago."

He smiled lopsidedly, "True that."

They had climbed up a couple of stories of stairs and were heading down a passageway towards Ava's bedroom, which happened to be Liz's as well. Talk about a coincidence…

"So, Ava are you really petrified of not graduating? Of all things?" He raised an eyebrow at here.

"Well, you do plan to eat after high school right? I mean, it's kind of weird but definitely more rational with whole of Sam's rabbit phobia!" She defended herself.

"Uhhh…the exact term would be _leporiphobia-the fear of rabbits_. No wonder I get better grades than you." He smirked as they made a turn to open up to a hallway of adjacent rooms. Ava's room was at the very end of it.

She rolled her eyes, "It was one time, Peter! I just lost it there." She rolled them again but smiled. Some moments passed in silence as she again spoke up, when they were almost at the door of her room.

"So you've been ramming about everyone else's fears. If you don't mind, Can I know what your biggest dread is?" She asked, with warmth lacing her voice.

A sharp pain pierced through his heart as he recollected what had happened initially to his parents. Secondly, Uncle Ben. Then, Gwen…he'd always blamed himself for their deaths. Once he'd been so distant that he was scared of letting anyone into his life, fearing their deaths too. He wasn't sure if he wanted to share it with Ava yet. But he just let it go, considering how much **she'd** trusted him.

A couple of seconds passed but Peter didn't answer. He was just readying himself to disclose it to her, but she thought he wasn't okay with it. So, she didn't push. She just lightly knocked on the door. There was no response from inside.

But then Peter cleared his throat, causing her to look at him. He lifted his ocean blue eyes to hers that were filled with a tinge of sadness. He offered a little smile before saying,

"What I fear more than death is watching people I love die. And I've seen it happen three times. And I'd do anything in my power to stop it from happening again." He confessed breathlessly.

Ava just kept staring into his orbs, she never really felt the way she was feeling right now. She actually wanted to comfort him, just like he'd done a while ago. But she didn't know how and didn't understand why. So she just nodded and smiled as a sign to convey him that she understood. And in that moment, both of them found themselves closer than they'd ever been to each other.

Her smile seemed to light up everything for once. Her smile was just so beautiful, just like everything else about her was. He found his lips' corners turn too. Something here just felt so right that he just didn't want the moment to end. Maybe he was being a jerk, but he just wanted her to stay there.

 _Was he falling in…?_

"Ava, I…" He searched for words to say but was interrupted when the knob of the door turned open and a certain blonde emerged into the light. Her emerald eyes were a little puffy but Ava thought they were probably because she'd been waken up from a deep sleep. Her hair were a lightly tangled as she straightened her red tank top. Despite the tired look on her face she did look a little scolded.

"Ava…do you even know what time it is?" She said folding her arms.

"I'm really sorry, Liz. I just had to figure somethings out. It's all my fault, sorry." She said, with an apologizing look on her face.

Liz sighed, then smiled, "Never mind. Just please be sure to inform your roommates if you're gonna go out solo…wait you weren't alone after all." Her gaze shifted towards Peter.

Was she supposed to be embarrassed at this? She was alone out on the beach, in the middle of the night, with Peter. Did that hint something? She hoped not. She took a deep breath and was about to answer when Peter spoke for her.

"Oh, this one's on me. I asked if she wanted to go star-gazing with me and as you know, no girl can resist the Parker-charm." Peter said proudly, his eyes shining brightly.

Both Liz and Ava rolled their eyes and let out a small chuckle, while Liz's being accompanied by a slight blush. Ava lightly nudged him in the arm.

"As if, Peter. Anyway it's getting really late. I'm gonna have to be up early. Goodnight, Peter, Liz." She smiled.

He returned her smile and replied, "Night, Ava."

"Goodnight!" Liz answered as Ava waved before disappearing behind the door, letting a small yawn afterwards.

When she was gone, Liz turned towards Peter with a twinkling in her eyes, "So?" She asked.

Peter arched an eyebrow, "So…what?" He questioned back.

She narrowed her eyes before clearing herself, "You said that you were going to talk to Ava, right? So how did it go? She seems really relaxed now."

"Oh yeah, that!" He suddenly exclaimed. "Seriously though, you're a genius. I mean, I couldn't have ever thought of talking to her after that incident."

She smiled broadly, "Oh well, what can I say? I give the world's finest advices."

"Oh, I'm sure you do. It was good to see her smile again. All thanks to you and a little to the old parker charm." He winked.

Her heart skipped a beat at that. Did he have to be so…sexy? She shaked her head and said, "Oh my god, is that even a real thing?"

"Oh it really is. And I'd be damned if it hadn't affected her...or you." He smirked.

Her eyes went wide and heart was about to explode. She tried to hide her nervousness behind her laughter.

 _Was he just hitting on me…?_

"Whatever…I don't believe it." She said, anxiously.

He smiled and said, "Relax, I'm just messing with you." That's when a slight feminine moan was heard next door.

Peter smirked and said, "Whoa, looks like someone's having a good time in there."

She rolled her eyes and rubbed her nose whilst saying, "Midtown High Teenagers. Beach-side resort. Full-moon night. What else can you expect?" And they both chuckled and he noticed something. Something that kinda hit him hard.

Her blonde, long hair. Those big, emerald eyes. That flawless light-olive complexion. Her tall, perfect figure. The way the corners of her eyes crinkled when she laughed. And most significantly, the way she rubbed her nose.

 _Too much alike. Just too much…_

Then like a cold blast, his face scrunched to a slight frown and he scratched the back of his neck and out of discomfort he said, "Uhhh…yeah so I think I've hit my curfew. Catch ya around. Night." He gave her a half smile and turned his back to walk towards his room.

She returned his smile but didn't say anything. Did she hurt him in some way? And he was out with Ava, in the middle of the night…But no that didn't mean anything. And wasn't he just kinda flirting back then? What did all of this conclude? As she closed the door behind herself, she was more confused than ever.

Peter mind was all kinds of hurricanes right now. Why did he just get a glimpse of Gwen staring at Liz? Why was he even thinking this way, he barely knew her? And what about Ava? He was almost on the verge of saying something stupid to her. Why did he feel the way he did about her?

The two girls were definitely the webhead's biggest mysteries till date.

Ava was prepping her bed for a well-deserved sleep. Her another roommate, Taylor Browning, one of Liz's besties was lying on a bed next to hers and closer to the balcony. It was huge hotel room with enough space for 3 beds with a washroom and changing room too. Ava smiled as she looked over to Taylor who was mumbling random sentences whilst snuggling with her blanket. That's when she felt a tap on her shoulders and when she turned around, Liz came into her circle of vision.

"Hey…" Liz said awkwardly. She wanted to talk desperately about their night. She knew it was wrong, but the desire was just too intimidating.

Ava smiled, "Hey Liz. What's up?" She tried hard to blink back the yawn that was forming at the end of her throat.

"I know that you're really tired right now but I…I wanted to talk about something. So if you're okay with it…" She asked, not wanting to meet her eyes.

Ava blinked confusingly, "Of course Liz, It's alright. What is it?"

"Better if we sit it down." She tried to sound casual as she led her to the couple of lounge chairs in the gallery and as they both sat down, her expression changed to a serious one.

"Ava, are you okay? How are you feeling right now?" She asked, her voice laced with warmth.

Ava was a little taken aback. They didn't knew each other that well. And by _**that well**_ I mean she knew nothing about Liz, other than that she was the sweetheart of the school and had a HUGE crush on Peter.

She had a tingly suspicion that Peter had told her something, but it was quickly dismissed.

"Me? I'm great. Thanks. If you ignore all of the time that Peter spent telling me the names of some stupid constellations. Always the smart guy." She smiled and it signified something.

Liz chuckled, "I'm sure it must've been amusing. But as per my knowledge, you and Peter had a fight kind of thing right? I don't mean to intervene but as we're becoming friends, can I ask you why? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Ava's mind drifted back to a couple of weeks back when the stupid _**'Francias Mania'**_ had happened. She wasn't sure if she was ready to disclose the real reason to Liz. I mean, how could she tell her that she was mad because Peter had annoyed her at the very day of her Dad's death anniversary? That would be very depressing for a cheery girl like Liz. She didn't want yet another person to be sad because of her. So instead she decided to play it safe and mix up some lies in the truth.

"It's nothing really. I'm kind of short tempered and that day was a special one to me. Peter just had to ruin it. But then again when I went home, I thought over it but then again gave it up. So today Peter decided to make up for it and honestly you might as well know that it's hard to remain mad at Peter Parker for long. So yeah…that's all really." She gave away a half

Liz definitely knew that. She wouldn't remain mad at him for even a single moment at him. He was just too sweet…and kind…and funny…and hot…and…

 _Stop it Liz! Focus._

Right. So that snapped her back to reality. She nodded, "Yeah. That's good. I wanted you to know that if you need someone to talk to, just remember that you got a new friend."

Ava smiled broadly, "I couldn't very well forget that, can I?" She was actually kinda starting to like this girl.

And this was sensed by Liz. So she processed on how to actually ask what she wanted to without making it too awkward or mean. She just wanted to know about Ava's relationship with Peter. Was that wrong? She knew there wasn't anything between them, but still her conscience just wanted to make sure of it.

So she began subtly, "So…you and Peter know each other for a long time now?"

Ava understood what Liz was trying to do here, but then she just decided to play along. So she nodded and replied, "Well, Yeah and Nah. It really depends on your definition of 'long'. I first met him 2 years ago. So you could say that. How 'bout you?"

She grinned widely, "Me? Well I've practically lived all of my life over here. I went to Midtown Elementary School, then Middle School and now here I am a junior in Midtown High. Same goes for Peter too. We didn't talk really much till Middle school. He was always the shy, nerdy kid. Actually I've never really moved out of New York City. I spent some early years in the Queens, then moved to Manhattan. You can't really take the girl out of the city." She chuckled, and Ava joined.

Ava was actually a bit surprised at how much Liz was sharing about herself in their first real conversation. So she thought it would be inappropriate to not do the same. So she decided to tell about herself just enough without revealing much.

"Well, that's true. But growing up in a small town in Puerto Rico is poles apart than here in New York. There it was always sunny and warm and almost everybody in the town used to know each other. It was almost like we all were this giant family. Good ol' days. But when I was 9, I moved to Brooklyn with my Uncle due to…well an incident. It wasn't easy but wasn't impossible either. Slowly 7 years flew away, and before I knew it I had become a New Yorker."

Liz felt herself beaming with admiration for the dark-haired girl before her, "Well, that's beautiful Ava. I understand it must've been difficult for you to leave everything back home and come to a new place. Especially a place as crazy as NYC. I really appreciate it. And given the fact that you're from Puerto Rico - _Como estas, Hermana?_ I hope I said it right." She smiled sheepishly.

Ava rolled her eyes, "Yeah, almost. But it's been a long time since I've spoken in Spanish. I barely even knew English when I first came here. Now look at me, this city has a way of changing people. But that doesn't mean that I can't sing and understand _Despacito_ in a single attempt. And hey, I've still got an accent to make up for it, right?"

Liz smirked, "I definitely can't argue that." They both laughed and then grew silent. Liz tried to look her best and hide her discomfort but Ava quickly guessed that there was something she was itching to talk about. So she asked,

"What is it, Liz? Do you want to talk about something with me?"

Liz straightened. This was it. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to disclose everything to Ava. She began in a low voice,

"I know this might seem kinda inappropriate to you but I just have to get this out. Please try to understand because this is disturbing me since a couple of weeks. So…I've been noticing a few weeks that you and Peter…well have been closer than before. I mean, I can clearly see the way he looks at you. With so much trust and sincerity and…care. There have been rumors around the school about you guys being together, not that I give a shit about them in the least. But still…if you both do feel that way I just want to back off in time, before… hurting myself."

Sadness evidently reflected her avocado orbs. As for Ava, she was in a complete state of daze as wheels began turning in her mind.

No, of course not. Peter!? Of all people? Definitely not.

 _Or maybe…_

 **Okay, so I'd like to apologize for the huge wait. I suck, alright? Hehe. So yeah I know this is not exactly a chapter to make up for it but hold on, I've got a surprise coming up for you. But I'm not sure when I'll bring it out though :P. So when Ava is confronted with this awkward question, what will she answer? Are Liz's assumptions correct? And is Peter still not over Gwen? But wait is there something else lurking in the shadows? Find out soon!**

 **As always, all of my Awesome** _ **sauce**_ **reviewers, y'all are the best. Also please vote at the poll that I posted and lemme know what y'all think:**

 **Man285: Aww, you're just too sweet. Thanks for your continued support. And also I don't know Georgian, it's just a courtesy of** _ **Google Translate,**_ **hehe. I'd certainly like to read it though. And yeah I just had to add a moment between or else I'd go crazy, lol!**

 **Death Fury: Thanks buddy! You're the best!**

 **The Story's Shadow: Yeah well, it can be. I mean I admit it wasn't like exorcist level dark, just darker than the stuff I usually write. Yeah, Kraven is a complete douche. I could've ripped him with a hundred of the swear words (that is if I knew that much, hehe). Anyway, thanks for your token of appreciation**

 **Mistico15: Thank you. Really that means a lot. I believe I've already covered up your doubts but I'm truly happy that you decided to give my story a shot.**

 **Aferus: Oh, Afe. I know that you'd not be around to read any more of the chapters, but still if you do decide to come back, I don't want to feel left out. So yeah thanks for reading my work. And also D.A.M.N. is that a review! I'm really flattered by whatever you said. Thanks again. I'm hoping to see you again.**

 **Burke23: Dude, you're back! And thanks for reviewing! You're Awesome!**


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